In an electrifying World Matchplay contest, Luke Littler emerged victorious over Nathan Aspinall with a mesmerizing 11-8 win at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. Littler's triumph was highlighted by a nine-darter in the opening leg, his second perfect game against Aspinall in the first leg, following their encounter at the 2024 Bahrain Darts Masters.
Achieving an impressive average of 113.68, the second-highest in World Matchplay history, Littler also hit 14 maximums throughout the match. His performance was nearly flawless, with the only blemish coming when he narrowly missed another perfect leg in the fourth round. Aspinall demonstrated remarkable resilience, holding his nerve to stay within one leg at the break despite Littler's blistering start. The match seesawed, with both players producing incredible darts, but Littler ultimately prevailed, taking out 52 on tops in the final leg to seal an enthralling victory.
'It felt amazing, probably the best game Nathan and I have played against each other,' Littler reflected post-match. Littler's win sets up a quarter-final showdown with Josh Rock, who overcame Stephen Bunting 11-6. Meanwhile, Michael van Gerwen was ousted by Dirk van Duijvenbode in a tense 14-12 tie-break, dropping to sixth in the world rankings. Van Duijvenbode will face Gary Anderson, who defeated Jonny Clayton 11-7, in the quarters.