Luke Littler Criticized for Slow Start Despite Advancing at Nordic Darts Masters 2025
Luke Littler, the 18-year-old PDC World Champion, faced scrutiny for a sluggish performance in his 6-2 first-round victory over Swedish debutant Viktor Tingstrom at the 2025 Nordic Darts Masters in Copenhagen on June 6, despite progressing to the quarter-finals. The best-of-11-legs match saw Littler, the tournament favorite at 13/8 odds (Mr Vegas), struggle early before rallying to secure the win, drawing mixed reactions from fans and pundits on X, as reported by Daily Star and Dartsnews.com.
Tingstrom, ranked No. 147, capitalized on Littler’s uncharacteristically shaky start, taking the first leg with a 76 checkout and breaking Littler’s throw to lead 2-1, per PDC.tv. Littler’s initial average dipped to 92.7, well below his typical 100+ mark, prompting criticism on X. @DartsNews02 posted, “Littler completely off his game in the first 5 legs,” while @DartsCentral remarked, “Don’t think I’ve seen Luke Littler play this poor. Tingstrom’s got him rattled.” Fans expressed frustration over Littler’s missed doubles, with a 20% checkout rate early on, per Sofascore.com.
However, Littler turned the tide from 3-2 down, unleashing an 11-dart leg to level the score and a 12-dart leg with a T20-T20-D12 combination to take the lead, per Sky Sports. He closed out the match with a 124 checkout (T20, T14, D11) and four 180s, finishing with a 102.3 average, per Flashscore.com. “It wasn’t my best, but I dug in and found my rhythm,” Littler told ITV4, eyeing the £30,000 top prize. His late surge silenced some critics, with @SkySportsDarts noting, “The Nuke finds his spark! 💥 On to Saturday.”
The criticism highlights the high expectations surrounding Littler, who has won 10 titles in 2024/25, including the World Championship. He now faces Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals on June 7, with Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price as potential semi-final opponents. Despite the early wobble, Littler’s recovery underscores his resilience as he aims for his third World Series title.
