WARRINGTON teenager Luke Littler secured his place in the Premier League play-offs last night by beating Rob Cross 6-4 in the final on night 14 in Aberdeen.
The 17-year-old’s victory was his fourth of the season and he has now beaten 2020 world champion Cross in successive weekly finals and was asked post match if he is currently the best player in the world?
He modestly said no saying: “I can just play with a free throw now that I’m through. I’ll play to win but if it’s not to be, it’s all about getting ready for London,” Littler told Sky Sports.
When asked if he was the best player in the world at the moment, Littler replied: “No. I don’t know who is.”
Despite not believing he is, Littler is in phenomenal form.
Littler was joined in the four-man play-offs at London’s O2 Arena on 23 May by world number one Luke Humphries, who has secured his place because of the remaining fixtures.
Littler is now eight points clear of world champion Humphries and well placed to clinch top spot with just two weeks remaining of the regular season.
His rich vein of form has involved winning 12 games in a row across two Premier League weeks with a European Tour success in Austria in between.
While Littler was scratchy in his quarter-final against Nathan Aspinall, surviving match dart and a checkout percentage of just 24% to claim a final-leg win.Annoyed by constant whistling from the crowd he rushed to the side of the stage and shushed them after sealing victory.
This was followed by a stunning semi-final performance as he brushed aside 2023 world champion Michael Smith to win 6-1, averaging 110.1 and hit six of seven doubles to reach his fifth nightly final in six weeks.
He exchanged breaks with Cross twice in the opening six legs, before claiming the ninth leg against the throw to move to within one.
Cross, who keeps his slim play-off hopes alive, missed double six to force a decider before Littler hit his favoured double 10 to secure the win.
Q next to my name, top of the table and taking home another trophy✅ What a night!!❤️🎯 pic.twitter.com/UqR2zh0mhi
— Luke Littler (@LukeTheNuke180) May 2, 2024
