The teenage darts sensation retained his World Matchplay crown with a dominant victory over Gerwyn Price, setting new tournament and final average records in Blackpool.
Luke Littler produced another remarkable display to successfully defend his World Matchplay title, defeating Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the final and rewriting the tournament’s record books in Blackpool.
The 19-year-old became only the third player in history to win back-to-back World Matchplay titles, cementing his status as the sport’s dominant force. His commanding performance also earned him £225,000 in prize money.
Littler Breaks Phil Taylor’s Historic Records
Littler finished the tournament with an average of 111.04, surpassing the previous tournament record of 106.31 set by darts legend Phil Taylor in 2010.
He also set a new record for the highest average in a World Matchplay final after producing an incredible 111.53 average against Price, beating Taylor’s previous mark of 111.23, which had stood since 2013.
The latest triumph further strengthened Littler’s position as the world number one.
Dominant Display in the Final
Littler wasted little time asserting his dominance, producing a stunning 167 checkout in the fourth leg to earn an early break and race into a 4-1 lead.
His relentless scoring continued as he extended his advantage to 8-2, averaging more than 114 at one stage and threatening to break yet another tournament record.
Although his scoring dipped slightly during the middle stages, he remained comfortably in control before sealing victory with another spectacular 148 checkout, his sixth finish of 100 or more in the final.
Prize Money and Rankings Boost
The victory earned Littler £225,000, increasing his total earnings on the PDC’s two-year Order of Merit to £3,143,500.
He now leads second-placed Luke Humphries by more than £2.13 million, underlining his dominance at the top of the rankings.
Speaking after the match, Littler described the tournament as one of the finest weeks of his career.
“It’s been a crazy week, one of the best weeks of my life with the darts I’ve played. It’s been tough. The stats may look like it’s easy but when you’re on this stage with how hot it is, it’s not easy,” he said.
Price Enjoys Strong Tournament
Despite the defeat, Gerwyn Price also impressed throughout the tournament. The Welshman averaged 104.97 in the final and climbed to fourth in the PDC Order of Merit, reclaiming his place as Wales’ highest-ranked player ahead of Jonny Clayton.
Littler also set another tournament record by hitting 66 maximum 180s, breaking the previous record of 65 that he established during last year’s championship.
