Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler’s dream debut at the German Darts Grand Prix came to an end in the semi-finals, despite flashes of brilliance throughout the tournament.
The 18-year-old sensation from Warrington, fresh off defending his Belgian Darts Open title earlier this year, looked to continue his impressive form in Munich. However, after a strong showing in the early rounds, Littler’s trademark scoring power failed to ignite when it mattered most.
In the quarter-finals, Littler overcame a slow start to edge out Peter Wright 6-5. After falling behind 2-0, he rallied with four consecutive legs, only for Wright to claw his way back. Littler eventually sealed the win with an average of 95.79.
But his run ended in the semi-finals against reigning World Youth Champion Gian Van Veen. The Dutchman stormed ahead 3-0 before Littler switched darts, which sparked a brief comeback as he rattled off four straight legs. Still, Van Veen proved too strong, averaging a staggering 110.8 to close out a 7-4 win.
Earlier in the day, Littler impressed with a 6-3 win over Joe Cullen in the third round, featuring a stunning 170 checkout—the “big fish”—as well as finishes of 110 and 108.
His second-round performance on Sunday was arguably his best, dismantling Cam Crabtree 6-1 with a red-hot average north of 107 and allowing his opponent just three darts at a double.
Littler now turns his attention to the Premier League Darts Night 12 in Liverpool, where he’ll be looking to bounce back strong on Thursday night.
