PDC World Darts Championship: Luke Littler Takes Down Darius Labanauskas in Thrilling First-Round Encounter
The highly anticipated PDC World Darts Championship got underway at Alexandra Palace last night, with 18-year-old world number one Luke Littler starting his title defence on a high note. Littler overcame tough opposition from Lithuania's Darius Labanauskas to secure a three-set victory in their first-round clash.
Labanauskas, ranked 95th in the world, provided a stern test for Littler, pushing him all the way to the final leg of each set. However, it was the youngster who ultimately came out on top, sealing the win with a crucial double six checkout.
Littler's performance earned praise from his coaches, with Sky Sports commentator Phil Cartwright describing his display as "impressive" and "elegant". The world number one credited his nerves dissipating once he won a leg and set, allowing him to focus on the task at hand. Notably, Littler landed nine of his 14 attempted doubles throughout the match, showcasing his exceptional technique.
With this win, Littler has moved one step closer to retaining his PDC World Championship title, which he claimed in January just before his 18th birthday. The youngster's impressive form and skill have propelled him to the top of the world rankings, earning him widespread recognition within the darts community.
As the tournament progresses, fans will be eager to see how Littler navigates the challenges that lie ahead, particularly against higher-ranked opponents like Mario Vandenbogaerde and David Davies in the next round.
The highly anticipated PDC World Darts Championship got underway at Alexandra Palace last night, with 18-year-old world number one Luke Littler starting his title defence on a high note. Littler overcame tough opposition from Lithuania's Darius Labanauskas to secure a three-set victory in their first-round clash.
Labanauskas, ranked 95th in the world, provided a stern test for Littler, pushing him all the way to the final leg of each set. However, it was the youngster who ultimately came out on top, sealing the win with a crucial double six checkout.
Littler's performance earned praise from his coaches, with Sky Sports commentator Phil Cartwright describing his display as "impressive" and "elegant". The world number one credited his nerves dissipating once he won a leg and set, allowing him to focus on the task at hand. Notably, Littler landed nine of his 14 attempted doubles throughout the match, showcasing his exceptional technique.
With this win, Littler has moved one step closer to retaining his PDC World Championship title, which he claimed in January just before his 18th birthday. The youngster's impressive form and skill have propelled him to the top of the world rankings, earning him widespread recognition within the darts community.
As the tournament progresses, fans will be eager to see how Littler navigates the challenges that lie ahead, particularly against higher-ranked opponents like Mario Vandenbogaerde and David Davies in the next round.
that kid's skills r insane!!! 18 yrs old & already a world no1 
i mean, ppl were giving him trouble but he just focused & nailed those doubles 
gotta respect his nerves dissolving once he got ahead & just played out the game 
! he's only 18 and already a world number one 
. can you even believe that? his nerves were probably super high at first but he managed to calm down once he got his first win and just went out there and played his heart out 
. nine out of 14 doubles is insane, what an incredible technique he has! 
i'm definitely keeping an eye on him as the tournament goes on, can't wait to see how far he'll make it 
I'm curious to see how he'll do against Mario and David in the next round. Can he keep up the momentum and defend his title? 
this kid's got game for real! 18 years old and already taking down top players like Labanauskas... not bad for a young'un 
. now, let's see how he handles the tough draws ahead... those guys like Vandenbogaerde and Davies aren't gonna go down without a fight 
. His technique is insane! 9 out of 14 doubles isn't easy to achieve. I'm curious to see how he'll handle some tougher opponents like Vandenbogaerde and Davies next round 
. now let's see how he handles those tougher opponents like vandenbogaerde and davies... will we see more of the same from Littler or is there room for improvement? 
i mean who else can say they took down a top 100 player on their debut year as number one 
can't wait to see how he handles the top players next round 
. And his coaches are going wild, saying he played impressive and elegant... sounds like our Luke's still got the magic 
His stats are crazy - 9 out of 14 doubles landed in this match alone? 
Not to mention he's already broken the record for most consecutive match wins at the PDC World Championship... 
now lets see how he does against those higher ranked opponents 
, another Pro Darts Championship underway 
. And what's up with the prize money pool not getting any bigger? It feels like the same amount every year 
... I get that inflation is a thing, but can't we just give players some more cash for their efforts? 
! i mean labanauskas put up a good fight but lukie just kept his cool and took it to him 
anyway, congrats to Luke for winning 
he's def got some skills but i mean 18? already world champ? kinda like how some ppl get famous just cuz they're on tiktok 
. 18 years old and already beating 95th ranked players like labanauskas? that's not exactly a challenge 
also, what's with all these coaches and commentators saying his game is "impressive" and "elegant"? we need some actual stats or numbers to back that up, not just hype