Luke Littler Wins His First World Series of Darts Finals Title
Luke Littler, just 17 years old, captured his first World Series of Darts Finals title in Amsterdam on Sunday with a commanding 11-4 victory over 2023 World Champion Michael Smith.
The young star, who has quickly risen to prominence in the sport, secured his third World Series title of the year and an £80,000 prize.
How it went down
After dropping the first two legs of the final, Littler stormed back, winning seven consecutive legs to take a 7-3 lead by the interval. He returned to the oche with the same intensity, finishing the match with a remarkable 102.21 average. His triumph over Smith was the final act of a stellar day that included wins over Chris Dobey and Dutch legend Michael van Gerwen.
"I'm very happy to win," said Littler after his victory. "To come here and win on my debut is a good feeling. I'm playing well, so I will go back home and practice even more. There's no time to sit about, it's a busy winter coming up."
The journey to the final
Littler’s path to the final was as impressive as the win itself. He dismantled home favourite Van Gerwen 11-4 in the semi-finals, putting together an astonishing run of nine consecutive legs and averaging 107.95. The young Englishman had also secured a 10-7 quarter-final victory over Dobey earlier in the day.
"This time last year I was playing on the Development Tour, and now everyone knows who I am," Littler added. "I’m going to keep building on this and winning more. It’s a busy schedule, but I’m ready for it."
Smith remains optimistic despite loss
Smith, who had battled past Rob Cross and Peter Wright to reach the final, struggled to find his rhythm against Littler.
"I just didn’t do anything in the final," Smith admitted after the match. "It never happened for me, but I was lucky to be in the final."
Despite his disappointment, Smith remained optimistic about the future.
"It’s another runner-up trophy, which I’ve collected quite a few of over the years, but this weekend puts me in good stead. I’ve had a bit of time off, and now I’m ready to get back practising hard for the rest of the year."
Littler's victory in Amsterdam caps an extraordinary year, with previous World Series wins in Bahrain and Poland. He also claimed the Premier League Darts title earlier in the year, defeating Luke Humphries.
