Luke Littler Eyes Historic Achievement at the European Championship
Luke Littler has a chance to make history this weekend: the 18-year-old sensation could become the youngest world No1 in PDC history – and by some margin, reports BritPanorama.
The European Championship in Dortmund kicks off today, providing the world champion his first major opportunity to overtake rival Luke Humphries in the PDC Order of Merit.
If Littler wins the title on Sunday, currently held by Ritchie Edhouse, he’ll smash Michael van Gerwen’s existing record. The Dutchman was 24 when he reached the summit in 2014, with Littler becoming the youngest by some six years.
This is a significant moment for the Warrington teenager, who has been on the professional tour for less than two years. Currently sitting at No2 in the rankings, Littler is just behind Humphries.
The rankings are determined by prize money earned over two years, and Littler has accumulated nearly £1.7 million from seven major titles, sitting £52,500 behind Humphries.
Littler has expressed his ambition to claim the top spot before defending his world championship crown at Alexandra Palace in December. To achieve this, he has several paths available this weekend.
The simplest route would be to win the entire tournament, guaranteeing his ascent to world No1, regardless of Humphries’ performance. Should Humphries lose early – in the first round, for instance – Littler just needs to reach the semi-finals to climb to the top spot.
Moreover, if the two Englishmen both advance to the quarter-finals, they could face each other in a key match that might determine who claims the No1 position.
Littler’s recent form has been impressive; he decisively defeated Humphries 6-1 in the World Grand Prix final earlier this month. Following that victory, he stated, “Obviously, until I get that world No1 spot, I will never call myself the best in the world. I don’t want to think about it too much, but I could be world No1 before that World Championship.”
In tomorrow’s first-round, Littler will take on five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld, while Humphries faces Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski.
However, both players faced a fortunate crowd during the recent World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt, which saw them booed by spectators after their loss to Germany. Following that incident, Littler opted not to attend several key tournaments in Germany.
After this European Championship, there are two more significant events before Littler defends his world title on 11 December: the Grand Slam of Darts from 8-16 November and the Players Championship Finals from 21-23 November.
As the competition unfolds, Luke Littler’s pursuit to etch his name in PDC history could reshape the current narrative of darts, proving how the youngest talents are redefining the sport’s landscape.
