Luke Littler stuns World Matchplay Darts with one of his greatest ever comebacks against Jermaine Wattimena
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
LUKE LITTLER completed one of his finest EVER comebacks to book his place in the World Matchplay Darts quarter-finals.
The teen sensation came back from 7-2 behind to shoot down Jermaine 'Machine Gun' Wattimena 13-11 in a tie-break classic.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
3
Littler stunned the Blackpool crowd to beat Wattimena
Credit: Getty
3
Littler, 18, looked bang in trouble but then delivered an unplayable five minutes which propelled him to his first-ever quarters in the Winter Gardens.
It went all the way to a nail-biting tie-break and Littler said: 'It just didn't go to plan. I bust the 127 then I missed my doubles.
'I was always three or four legs behind. But after the second break I say to myself 'I'm on the stage until the end, just work hard'.
'When I won I pointed to the star on my shirt, I'm a world champion for a reason. I find these gears when I need it.
'I'll be honest I've not felt pressure like that since the first round of the World Championship against Ryan Meikle. But nervous but the crowd here unbelievable.'
Littler made an awful start, averaging just 80 early on as he lost the opening FOUR legs. In contrast Wattimena was averaging 104.
But The Nuke finally got his first leg on the board with a stunning 100 finish and two double tops.
Littler then halved the deficit with double four but Wattimena then extended his lead to 7-2 to leave the teen sensation on the ropes. At this point Littler had missed TEN efforts on doubles.
The Nuke then hit a vital double 16 to narrow the gap before the second break. He gestured to the fans: 'I'm still here'.
A clinical 107, 70, tops and double 10 followed for Littler to make it 8-7 and he let out a huge scream.
Luke Littler reveals gruelling new training regime that saw him almost break darts record
But Wattimena wasn't finished and he showed great spirit to stay with Littler to make it 9-9.
The Nuke then missed one match dart before going to a tie-break. He then blew three more chances to win it but finally wrapped it up with double 10.
Gerwyn Price romped into the quarters with a stunning 11-3 win over Chris Dobey.
It was all one-way traffic and no dramas for the Welshman after his stage aggro with Daryl Gurney earlier in the week.
3
Littler and Wattimena enjoy a classy moment together after their epic clash
Credit: SKY SPORTS
Price said: 'I think I'm played well in the middle part of the game.
'The crowd were behind me which I didn't expect today after Monday.
'It was fantastic, the middle part of the game I felt I couldn't miss. I put Chris under a lot of pressure. I think he played decent in patches.
'I want to let my emotions go sometimes. It was a tough game.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
33 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Katie Taylor's dad CONFIRMS legendary daughter's relationship status after pics emerge of her wearing ‘wedding ring'
Pete opened up on their reunion in an exclusive interview with The Irish Sun Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) KATIE TAYLOR'S dad Pete has confirmed that the Irish boxing legend is married. In pics ahead of her trilogy bout against Amanda Serrano, the Wicklow fighter appeared to be wearing a ring on her left hand. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Katie Taylor wore a ring on her left hand in the week before her win over Amanda Serrano Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 2 Pete Taylor confirmed his daughter was married Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile And during an appearance on the Anything Goes podcast with James English, her dad Pete confirmed that she had indeed tied the knot. He said: "Ever since the fight there with Katie, people are seeing the two of us back together, even some of the s*** you hear about that. "I was reading somewhere that Katie Taylor never got married because of her father, he wouldn't let her. "Katie's married, you know, and I'm thinking, 'where are you getting this s*** from?'" Dad and daughter reunited to work together in the lead-up to the 39-year-old's sensational trilogy win over Amanda Serrano on July 11. Pete had coached her during her amateur career, peaking with her winning an Olympic gold medal in London in 2012. However, they parted ways after Pete split from Katie's mum Bridget. Taylor controversially lost her title at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and turned pro later that year, and has been trained by Ross Enamait ever since. In an exclusive interview with the Irish Sun a week on from her victory over the Puerto Rican, Pete sought to dispel preconceptions concerning their relationship. He said: "We posted online that we were training together, but we were still very close. I was still over visiting her. Pete Taylor opens up on training with Katie Taylor "This is a media thing that me and Katie got back together for the fight. It's not true. "We've always been close, and we've been talking for the last five or six years. It was just that I didn't get involved in the training. "We were always talking boxing. That's just natural. When I call over to her, we go to the gym together. "She just asked me to help out in this camp, and that was it - but it wasn't that we rekindled this relationship. "We were close all the time. "People love these stories. I think they must have boring lives or something, because they're so interested in other people's lives. "I don't post anything about my own personal life on Instagram. Katie's the same, and then, when we put it up, you could say it went viral. "We've always been close. I was actually shocked that it went so viral, to tell you the truth."
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Inside Man Utd's pre-season tour routine as Ruben Amorim CANCELS double training sessions and stars go undetected in US
The players have been granted extra free time each day DEVIL IN THE DETAIL Inside Man Utd's pre-season tour routine as Ruben Amorim CANCELS double training sessions and stars go undetected in US Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RUBEN AMORIM has been so impressed by the dedication of his Manchester United squad that he has CANCELLED the planned double training sessions. In a stark change from the dictatorial regime the United squad endured under former boss Erik tan Hag on their Asian tour last summer, Old Trafford chief Amorim and his fitness team have seen enough to ensure a relaxed environment at their Chicago base. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Ruben Amorim has been impressed with his Man Utd players on their pre-season tour so far Credit: Getty 4 Players have been hitting the gym at 10:30am every day Credit: Getty And the buy-in from the players has been clear, with a growing feeling that United might, at last, be back on the right track. SunSport has been given an insight into how Amorim and his players have spent their time since arriving in the USA last week. That includes the gym and fitness demands, how he has managed the sauna-like conditions to develop tactical plans and down-time for the players to ensure they are ready to take more on board. Amorim and his staff, aware of how far behind the Prem elite they were last season, were determined to make a flying start when the players returned to Carrington at the start of July. READ MORE ON MAN UTD SAK IT OFF Man Utd 'make shock bid to sign Isak as Liverpool bid rejected by Newcastle' All the first team squad were given pretty detailed and intensive fitness programmes to do during their holidays, including reporting their performance in specific physical tasks. From day one, it was clear to the club's sports science staff, when the numbers clocked matched their reports, that the players had been treating the demands seriously. A bleep test-style sprint exercise, ramping up the requirements, brought extra intensity to the initial sessions, as Amorim and his staff wanted confirmation that the players recognised how much was needed. But the positive statistical feedback was proof that the squad wanted to be part of a new approach, with that push for fitness continuing over the past four weeks. Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford 4 Players have left for training at 9:15am every day Credit: Getty The gym work has started at 10:30 each day, with the players gathering for breakfast from 7.30am onwards - although without a rigid timeline, except for Amorim, who has done his own hour's gym work before the players have finished their morning meal. But the coach to training - at Chicago Fire's impressive Endeavour complex - has left on the dot at 9.15am. Sesko wants Man Utd move as Villa block Watkins exit | Transfers Exposed Sessions have seen a lot of running on the Endeavour pitches, with one nominal 'shooting' drill including stamina work on sprints between the stations. And with the heat in mind, Amorim - with not even the club cameras rolling - has started his tactical work with the squad. That is about making players feel emboldened to make decisions under pressure, with just two or three bullet-point style instructions. Set-piece work is overseen by assistant manager Carlos Fernandes, viewed by Amorim as his trusted confident and second set of eyes - not dissimilar to the role Jose Mourinho had under Bobby Robson at Porto. However, Amorim's initial plans for his side to do two training sessions each day have not been required because of the high fitness levels. That has allowed Amorim to give his players their afternoons largely off, with the extra free time providing an opportunity for them to strengthen their internal relationships. Players have relaxed in cafes and gone shopping - with Chicago offering a relative anonymity they would not get at home. Unlike on previous tours, though, few of Amorim's side have utilsed the games room install at their Waldorf Astoria hotel, mainly as it is sited on the third floor, two stories below the main rooms level. Amorim is understood to believe he needs to treat the players as adults rather than petulant or truculent children, as happened under Ten Hag. Skipper Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire have been influential figures, speaking to the various player groups and staff to help foster the collective environment the manager has been determined to achieve. That has all helped, especially for the players who remember the Ten Hag pre-season tours with a shudder. It is about discipline within an agreed system, rather than a draconian crackdown. That was shown when Ten Hag and his players were in the Thai capital Bangkok. The lifts in their hotel were very slow and with Ten Hag imposing punishments for anybody who was late to attend a meeting or a meal, many of the players ended up using the stairs to ensure they were on time. It meant stairwells packed with players hauling themselves up 40 flights of stairs to get to the dining room. 4 Amorim is understood to believe he needs to treat the players as adults rather than petulant or truculent children Credit: Getty MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest deals and rumours from Old Trafford
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Fears Pep Guardiola's ‘imminent' divorce could hurt Man City as boss' relationship with wife continues to deteriorate
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PEP Guardiola's divorce is set to be finalised 'imminently'. The Manchester City boss and wife Cristina Serra had hoped to keep their split friendly, but sources say there is now 'more urgency' as their relationship has deteriorated. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and his wife Cristina Serra are expected to finalise their divorce Credit: Getty 5 Pep's marriage woes coincided with his worst slump as a manager Credit: Getty 5 Pep with wife Cristina and daughter Maria at Wimbledon in 2024 Credit: AP Pep's marriage woes, reported by The Sun in January, coincided with his worst slump as a manager. And there are fears the troubles could overshadow the start of the new season. The Spaniard has already vowed to leave the Etihad after his contract runs out in 2027, saying he needs to 'focus on myself'. Insiders said his relationship with estranged wife Cristina has moved from 'friendly to cordial' amid 'complicated negotiations'. They expect details to be finalised in weeks and made official as early as next month. Respected Spanish journalists Laura Fa and Lorena Vazquez, who broke the story of their split, insisted there is no way back. Fa said: 'The signing of this divorce is going to be imminent. Evidently their relationship sentimentally has come to an end.' Vazquez said: 'The relationship has ceased to be friendly and has become cordial. We're not saying there's tension between them but the break-up has moved on to another level. 'There's perhaps more urgency to set a date for the end of this relationship.' Pep, 54, and Cristina, 52, have been together for 30 years and wed in 2014. Man City boss Pep Guardiola visits his new business venture Monarka Clinic Cristina, who runs her own fashion business, had failed to settle in Manchester and returned to Spain five years ago. Sources said they agreed to part in December just weeks after he penned a new contract. Cristina told friends it was the last straw. Pep refused to give up and when news of the split broke he was seen emerging from a team hotel still wearing his wedding ring. In March he flew to Barcelona for three days at the couple's £8.5million home. The estranged couple even hired the same lawyer in a bid to avoid a messy courtroom battle. Last month they joined kids Maria, 24, and Marius, 22, at the Oasis gig in Heaton Park. But there were no pictures of them together. Influencer Maria kept her mum's presence a closely-guarded secret by posting only photos of her and Pep at the concert. 5 Guardiola and his family recent attended an Oasis concert in Manchester, pictured with Richard Ashcroft Credit: x
