Luke Littler was brushed aside by Gerwyn Price in Dublin (Image: Sky Sports )
suffered a bruising defeat to during the pair’s quarter-final tie on night three of the in Dublin.
The Nuke allowed his opponent to establish a healthy lead for the second consecutive week, having gone 4-1 down against the Welshman.
Unlike last week, there was no mesmeric comeback for the reigning World Champion, as Price eventually confirmed progression into the semi-final stage by virtue of a 6-4 win.
While he still posted an average just below 100, Littler was below his best for the Price clash and looked visibly frustrated at times with his performance.
It was a different story pre-match though, with Littler singing along with the Irish crowd while they were serenading his opponent Price with a chant.
The teenage sensation was captured by the Sky Sports cameras enjoying the chant by the crowd, but after slipping to a disappointing loss, he’s unlikely to be singing Price’s name anytime soon.
Not least because Littler has now lost his last five matches against the Iceman, who appears to have had the Warrington-based arrowsmith’s number in recent match-ups.
The pair met at a Players Championship event earlier this month, with Price edging a 6-5 classic, having already beaten Littler 6-2 at the Bahrain Masters back in January.
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PRICE DUMPS OUT LITTLER!Gerwyn Price wraps up a 6-4 win over Luke Littler!The Iceman was fully pumped for that one!??????
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC)
Littler remained in good spirits throughout the match, despite being on the end a bit of a pumping from the 2021 world champion but the 18-year-old at times lacked the usual rhythm that has seen him blow opponents away in the past.
There was a moment when he was left scratching his head while chasing a finish, with the crowd appearing to get on his back as he refocused himself on the task at hand.
Having pinned double 14 to take the leg, Littler turned towards the crowd to offer a sarcastic celebration while telling them to stay calm at the same time.
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While it was all in good humour, it comes on the back of a night of crowd chaos in Glasgow last week, with fans having booed and whistled at several players during key moments of matches.
, the PDC said: “Following Thursday’s Premier League Darts night in Glasgow, the PDC wishes to strongly reiterate that it does not condone any behaviour which can disrupt an event, such as whistling or booing when players are throwing.
“Every player goes on stage with the intention of performing to the best of their ability and providing an entertaining spectacle for all fans, whether in the venue or watching worldwide.”