The Belgian Open saw a new hero in 17-year old Luke Littler, who emerged victorious in his European Tour debut. He managed to defeat Rob Cross in an 8-7 nail-biting final to be crowned champion and earn £30,000. Littler’s nine-darter in the game saw him go 6-5 up, but Cross refused to go down without a fight. However, Littler managed to grasp the win, scoring a 103.76 average in the final.
When Littler spoke after the game, he expressed his disbelief in winning the tournament. He said, “I hit the nine and then lost the next two legs, so I’m just glad to get over the line. It’s always good to be involved in a good game. We always push ourselves to the last leg.” Cross, who has competed in nine European Tour finals and was the runner-up in the World Championship, praised his young opponent’s talent and impeccable gaming ethics. He spoke on Littler’s bright future and acknowledged that he himself missed a few opportunities.
Littler’s semi-final opponent, Ricardo Pietreczko, alleged that Littler showed arrogance on stage and hoped that it would punish him. This led to Littler tweeting that he had no idea what he did wrong and did not understand Pietreczko’s comments. The young champion, who also defeated Damon Heta and Jermaine Wattimena on his way to the final, seemed to have made quite an impression in the tournament with his gaming skills and humble attitude.
Records were also broken at the tournament, with Cross making it to the final by hitting 30 maximum 180s, the highest ever on the European Tour. However, it was Littler’s debut season that made the tournament what it was. He proved that age is only a number and that raw talent can get you far. With a bright future ahead, Littler is indeed one to watch out for in the years to come
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