In a stunning debut at the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Championship, 16-year-old Luke Littler progressed to the third round after defeating two-time UK Open champion Andrew Gilding with an impressive 3-1 win. Initially, Littler went 2-0 up before Gilding managed to take a set back. Meanwhile, Gilding missed several chances to make a comeback leaving the match to Littler to close out, and book the place in the final 32 where he’ll face Canada’s Matt Campbell.
Littler who began playing with his dad when he was four, told Sky Sports that he lost his energy when he had a 2-0 lead against Gilding. Despite losing one set, he knew the precious golden opportunity he had to set up a meeting with Campbell. He said that he was nervous and didn’t want to go 2-2 in this stage. Gilding, who is 37 years older than Littler, could not match the composure and boisterous assurance that the teenage prodigy showed.
Elsewhere, Scott Williams from England endured a near-miraculous nine-dart finish as he overwhelmed Danny Noppert, the seventh seed from the Netherlands with a resounding 3-0 win. Additionally, last year’s semi-finalist Gabriel Clemens fought off Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung 3-1 to progress to the next round.
Moreover, England’s Rob Cross, the 2018 champion, also advanced to the third round, with an emphatic 3-0 victory over France’s Thibault Tricole. Cross managed to take advantage of Tricole’s jitteriness to seal the win. Mickey Mansell also triumphed over China’s Xiaochen Zong 3-0, setting up a clash with Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan, who will face Gerwyn Price, the 2021 champion.
In conclusion, there is no denying the tenacity of the youngest participant in this championship, Luke Littler, who shocked many with his impressive debuts and advanced to the final 32 after a win against Gilding. With recent results, this contest reflects the significance of the sport, so there is much anticipation ahead for fans of PDC World Championship
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More