Luke Littler Claims First World Matchplay Title After Hard-Fought Victory
Luke Littler secured his first World Matchplay championship as James Wade narrowly missed out in the final. Littler triumphed 18-13 in a tense battle at the Winter Gardens, becoming only the fifth player to achieve the PDC triple crown—joining Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, and Luke Humphries, who have also won the World Championship, Matchplay, and Premier League.
Wade, appearing in his seventh Matchplay final 18 years after his last victory in 2007, was outscored by Littler in a high-level contest. Littler hit 17 maximum 180s compared to Wade's six, maintaining an average of 107 and setting a new tournament record with 64 maximums, surpassing Adrian Lewis's previous mark of 56.
"It means everything," Littler told CuriosityNews after sealing the win with four consecutive legs to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy. "I look up to Phil—he’s won here 16 times. Now my name is on this trophy, and I can say I've completed the Triple Crown."
"Ever since I turned professional, my goal has been to win each major at least once. There are still a few left, but I'll keep chasing them."
A day after overturning a 5-0 deficit in his semifinal against Josh Rock, Littler faced another tough challenge as Wade surged ahead 5-0. However, Littler responded emphatically, leveling the match before taking the lead for the first time at 7-6. Wade stayed close, even pulling within one leg at 14-13, but Littler pulled away and sealed victory with a stylish 115 checkout—the highest of the match.
"Sort of," Littler said when asked if he felt in control. "Being 5-0 down again, I told myself, 'You’ve done this before, focus.' I managed to turn it around. I've proven I can come back from big deficits, but I’d rather avoid them. James lost a bit of momentum, and I found my best form."
At 18, Littler became the youngest champion in Matchplay history, six years younger than Wade when he first won the title.
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