Luke Littler admits he still has a long journey ahead before he can claim the title of "the greatest ever" in darts, but he is determined to keep ticking items off his personal checklist, beginning with a back‑to‑back triumph at the World Matchplay in Blackpool. His latest victory over Nathan Aspinall, a dramatic 11‑8 win that secured a place in the quarter‑finals against Josh Rock, moved him one step closer to that ambition.
The match was a showcase of pure talent. Littler opened the encounter with a flawless nine‑dart finish, an achievement that set the tone for what would become a spectacular display. He came agonisingly close to a second perfect leg in the fourth, missing the final double 15 by the narrowest of margins. In total, he recorded 14 maximum 180s and posted an average of 113.68, the second‑highest ever recorded at the World Matchplay, trailing only Phil Taylor's 114.99 from 2010.
Littler’s goal is to become the first player since Michael van Gerwen in 2017 to retain the Blackpool crown. The current world No. 1 already holds the World Darts Championship, the UK Open, the Premier League and the Masters, and he is also defending titles at the Matchplay, the Grand Slam, the Grand Prix and the Players Championship Finals. With a clean sweep still firmly in his sights, Littler now turns his attention to defending his Blackpool title and cementing his place among the sport’s legends.
"Obviously that talk's been going on for, I think from when I first came onto the scene, it was 'will he be the next Phil Taylor?'" Littler reflected. He added that he measures greatness by the number of world championships he can collect: "I have always said, unless I win 16 of these, 16 World Championships and whatever rest, then I think I will be the greatest.
Am I going to be around in 16 years' time? Who knows?
If I win 16 back‑to‑back World Championships, I am gone." In his epic duel with Aspinall, Littler fell just short of a second nine‑dart finish, missing the decisive double 15. Only Taylor has ever hit two perfect legs in a televised match, underscoring how close Littler came to joining that exclusive club. The early nine‑dart leg seemed almost inevitable to Littler, who hinted that his practice routine may have given him a premonition.
"I just want to produce my best stats every game I play and I think I have done it again tonight," he said. "At one point I was at the highest average and Phil had 114, so I know that record is there to be broken.
Everyone is asking me how I did it, but I don't really know. It was the first leg of the game and then to go on and miss the double 15 again was really gutting." He also shared a light‑hearted anecdote from his home practice: "I was playing a first‑to‑11 against the dart bot and missed the double 15.
My sister's boyfriend said, 'oh, you're c**p, you.' I was saving it till later and then I hit it." Despite the loss, Aspinall took the experience as a source of motivation, describing the match as the most enjoyable darts game of his career. He posted on social media: "The most enjoyable game of darts I have played in my career. Had absolutely everything and I gave it my all.
Fair play to Luke Littler, you were simply unreal. Six treble‑less visits in 19 legs is the stat that jumps out to me. Wow. That has certainly given me the hunger back.
Support was unreal as per." The second round of the World Matchplay continues on Wednesday with four more high‑stakes encounters. Cameron Menzies will look to build on his impressive win over world No.
2 Luke Humphries when he faces Ross Smith. Gerwyn Price is set to clash with former world champion Rob Cross. World No.
3 Gian van Veen will meet in‑form Dutchman Wessel Nijman, while James Wade takes on Ryan Searle. As the tournament progresses, the question on everyone’s mind is who will emerge victorious. Luke Littler will be defending his title, and fans can catch every throw on Sky Sports or stream the action via NOW. Whether Littler can translate his record‑breaking averages and nine‑dart brilliance into another championship win remains to be seen, but his ambition, work ethic and willingness to push the boundaries of the sport suggest that the era of a new darts great may be just beginning.