Luke Littler was delighted to book his spot in the last eight at Alexandra Palace (Image: SKY SPORTS)
admitted some disappointment despite overcoming a brilliant effort from Ryan Joyce, who the teenager admitted threw everything at him, to reach the quarter-finals on Monday night.
The 17-year-old title favourite had to fight hard to down ‘Relentless’ but ultimately won an epic encounter which yielded 21 180s – with 14 coming from Littler – in a 4-3 success at Alexandra Palace.
There were fears that Littler could crash out in the fourth round just 24 hours after reigning champion . But last year’s runner-up averaged 111 in the decisive set to avoid an upset.
And Littler let out a huge roar at the end as he scheduled a New Year’s Day showdown with Nathan Aspinall. But he said in his post-match interview he was disappointed not to end 2024 with a record fifth nine-darter inside a single year.
He told Sky Sports: “A few of the legs I started off with a 177 and just thought, ‘there’s a treble 19 out the way!’ Obviously I don’t end the year with five nine-darters but hopefully I can start the year off strong and get a nine for everyone.”
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The Warrington boy wonder of darts only needed one nine-darter to go past the record he shares with Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen but will now have to take another attempt in 2025.
He’d admitted pre-match he was desperate to crown an unforgettable year on the PDC Tour with a final nine darter and at one point was just three perfect darts away from one.
Littler added: “I went into 10th gear at one point. I had to. I just said to Ryan, ‘I thought you didn’t have your power scoring with you?’ He hit everything at me. I had to dig deep.
“I just wanted him to miss. I had a lot of chances with my doubles but I’m happy to win. I wouldn’t say I was nervous – it was more the adrenaline – but I knew in the last leg I had to hold my own and I did on that double 12, which shows I can hit it.
“Me and Nath have played plenty of times in the . He played very well this afternoon against Ricardo [Pietreczko]. I’ve just seen then I had 103 [average] which I’m very happy with. Another 14 180s.
Luke Littler let out a huge roar after beating Ryan Joyce 4-3 (Image: SKY SPORTS)
“I’ll just chill tomorrow and come back New Year’s Day. I don’t really know what 2025 will hold in store for me, I haven’t really thought about it yet, but obviously I want to start the year strong and get that win over Nathan.”
Earlier in the day, Aspinall thrashed Germany’s Pietreczko 4-0 and said to the media after: “You underestimate me, all of you. I never get any respect. I’m not going to go all Joe Cullen here, but I always get written off.
“No one ever talks about me and I’m a two-time major champion and a fantastic dart player. I’ve come through so much, come back fighting and keep proving people wrong time and time again.
“It’s up to me to go up on that stage and prove you lot wrong who write me off. I’ll do my thing, I’m past it now, it’s been years and years and years of worrying what other people think about me. I don’t care anymore.
“I’m going to go up there, play my darts. Win, lose, whatever, I’m just going to enjoy myself. I’ve got a fantastic life. My family want for nowt, I’m making money playing darts, I’m just going to go up there and enjoy myself.”