Littler Faces Backlash in Brighton, Mardle Attributes Early Exit to Van Veen Dispute

Luke Littler faced a hostile crowd in Brighton, resulting in his lowest televised PDC average, and former Premier League star Wayne Mardle believes his exit was influenced by his spat with Gian van Veen the previous week. Littler suffered a defeat to Stephen Bunting, who could have secured a more comfortable win but only hit six of his 21 darts at a double. The 19-year-old world champion showed little reaction to the loss and averaged only 83.94, failing to hit a single maximum. Mardle felt Littler was not at his usual standard, looking flat and struggling with his throws. Bunting addressed the boos directed towards Littler, stating he's a fantastic lad and doesn't like to see him treated that way. Meanwhile, Jonny Clayton produced a stunning comeback to beat Michael Van Gerwen, moving three points ahead of Littler in the table.