It looked easy, it was easy, and the world’s newest sporting sensation admitted as much. “I don’t think I’ve faced anything difficult,” said Luke Littler after reaching his first world championship final by thrashing Rob Cross 6-2.
“I don’t think anything’s been difficult to me, no disrespect to anyone I’ve faced. A few sets went 3-2. But I just believe in myself, believe in my own ability.” Whatever happens in Wednesday’s final against the new world No 1, Luke Humphries, Littler’s life and the sport of darts have already changed for ever.
The achievement of reaching a world final in his second major championship, beating three former champions along the way and registering an average of more than 105 three times, would be impressive enough before you even discovered his age, which has been widely reported as 16.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s not really sunk in yet,” Littler said, blinking a little in the haze of cameras and microphones arrayed before him.
“Rob missed 86 to win the second set and that might have changed things. But I just tried to stay focused. I only set myself one goal at this tournament, which was to win one game and come back after Christmas. I couldn’t imagine myself reaching the final.”
Of course, everyone wanted to know his secret. But there isn’t one, really: just industrial vats of talent, industrial hours on the practice board while the world was locked down during the pandemic and a routine that has scarcely changed from his recent days on the junior tour.
“I’ll be doing what I’ve been doing,” he said of his preparation for the final. “In the morning I’ll go for my ham and cheese omelette and then come here, have a pizza and then prep on the board. That is what I’ve done every day.”
For Humphries, who demolished the outsider Scott Williams 6-0 in one of his own finest performances, there was no rancour or bitterness at being upstaged “He deserves all the attention he’s getting, all the media plaudits and everyone on his side,” he said.
“For one of us, our lives are going to change for ever tomorrow and it might overawe him, but I don’t think it will. He’s got a lot of bottle and I’m going to have to play the game of my life to beat him.”
