Luke Littler, at the age of 17, emerged victorious against Aspinall with a narrow 6-5 win and then dominated Smith with a 6-1 victory in the semi-final, securing his place in the final against Voltage. Despite Cross’s earlier victories over Michael van Gerwen and world champion Luke Humphries, Littler made a strong start in the final by breaking Cross with a remarkable 14-dart finish. When Cross retaliated with an impressive 117 check-out to even the score, Littler fought back and managed to break Cross twice more, ultimately winning the match 6-4.
He narrowly missed a bullseye that would have finished a 125 finish, but he calmly secured the win with a double 10. Littler’s performance against Aspinall and Smith was equally impressive, securing victories in both matches. Littler’s victory over Smith in the semi-finals was particularly dominant, as he overpowered the 2023 World Champion with a resounding 6-1 win.
Despite being considered an underdog against Cross, Littler’s strong performance and determination resulted in his back-to-back night wins for the season. This led to a celebratory gesture towards the fans in the crowd after securing his victory over Aspinall. The atmosphere in Aberdeen, where the matches took place, was described as hostile towards Littler, but he remained focused and ultimately emerged triumphant.
His strong performance throughout the matches raises the question of whether he can win the Premier League.
