Luke Littler Criticizes His Own Performance Despite Thrilling Win Over Peter Wright
Luke Littler was self-critical following his dramatic 10-9 victory over Peter Wright in a UK Open thriller, despite securing his place in the next round. The teenager fended off a spirited comeback from the two-time world champion, who produced three consecutive ton-plus checkouts to force a deciding leg.
Speaking after the match, Littler acknowledged the high quality of the contest but admitted he could have managed the middle stages better to prevent Wright’s resurgence.
“Brilliant game,” he reflected. “Me and Peter were on it from the start. I fell asleep a few times in the match! I’d win a few, then lose a few, but I just had to try and come back with Peter having the darts so I could get the break.”
He emphasized the importance of a strong start but acknowledged that maintaining momentum is just as crucial. “It’s always good getting off to 2-0 or 3-0 starts, but as a darts player, that’s not always going to happen. It happened a few times in this game, but I had to battle back, and that’s what I did to win.”
Littler also recognized Wright’s undeniable talent, noting how dangerous the former champion becomes once he gains rhythm.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Peter throw a dart, but we all know what he’s capable of. As soon as he hits that first ton-plus, he’s nearly always hitting them all, and that’s exactly what he did against me.”
Despite the pressure, Littler kept his composure in the final leg, executing a crucial scoring sequence to set up a match-winning finish.
“I just had to get the power scoring going and hit the doubles. I always back myself in a last-leg decider, but when you don’t have the darts, you have to put on the pressure. I hit 140, 57, and 134 to leave 170… but I was never going for the 170! If Peter had been on a big finish, I might have, but when he wasn’t on a double, I had to set the shot up.”
Littler will now face Jermaine Wattimena in the next round, with a quarter-final spot at stake.
