Luke Littler’s bid to secure a clean sweep was ended after being beaten 10-4 by Jonny Clayton in the World Series of Darts Finals quarter-finals as Ross Smith was crowned the overall victor.
The 19-year-old was aiming to become the first man to win all 10 major televised tournaments in a calendar year, having triumphed in the first five, with a narrow 10-9 win over Nathan Aspinall on Saturday night sending Littler into the final eight.
A tight battle between the pair in Amsterdam saw Clayton level at 3-3 with a 136 checkout and he soon took charge of the contest, completing his victory with a checkout of 40 to set up a semi-final tie with Gerwyn Price.
Price went on to beat Clayton 11-7 and subsequently set up a showpiece meeting with Smith, who had claimed a 11-8 win over Gian van Veen in the competition’s remaining semi-final tie.
Initially little could separate Price and Smith during the final and with the score locked at 5-5, Smith suddenly took control by winning the next six straight legs and finished with an average of 103.89.
Smith’s 11-5 win over Price in the final secured a maiden World Series of Darts Finals crown for the Englishman and is the second Premier event of his career.
His path to the final saw him beat Josh Rock 10-7 in the quarter-finals earlier on Sunday to set up that meeting with Van Veen, who had recovered from trailing 8-6 to claim a 10-8 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode in the last eight.
Price had reached the semi-finals with a 10-7 triumph over James Wade, finishing with an impressive average of 103.86.
