“He absolutely smashed me to bits!” – James Wade full of praise for Luke Littler after 2025 UK Open final demolition

James Wade’s quest for a fourth UK Open title ended in defeat on Sunday night, as he fell to a dominant Luke Littler in a one-sided final. Despite the loss, Wade expressed optimism about his return to a major final.

Following an impressive victory over Luke Humphries in the afternoon, Wade delivered a strong performance in the semi-finals, defeating Josh Rock 11-2 with a near-100 average. However, he couldn’t replicate that form in the final, losing to Littler by the same margin.

“This is a great step in the right direction for me,” Wade emphasized after the match, acknowledging his climb to 12th in the PDC Order of Merit. “I played well in the semi-finals, but in the final Luke just blew me away.”

The age difference between the 41-year-old Wade and the teenage Littler highlighted the limitations of experience against exceptional talent. “I’m the senior dart player, but he absolutely smashed me to bits!” Wade admitted. “What can you do against that? He was the far superior player.”

Wade refrained from making excuses, instead offering high praise for Littler’s performance. “Fair play to Luke. At the moment, he is comfortably the best or second best dart player in the world,” Wade concluded.