Luke Littler claims inaugural Poland Darts Open title
Luke Littler has done it again, claiming the inaugural Poland Darts Open title with a commanding 8-4 victory over Gian van Veen in Krakow tonight, reports BritPanorama.
The world champion was absolutely devastating on the oche, firing in seven 180s and averaging just over 108 to pocket the £35,000 top prize.
This victory marks Littler’s fifth European Tour triumph, making him the first-ever winner of this Polish event – the opening European Tour competition of 2026.
The 19-year-old from Warrington proved too strong for his Dutch opponent, who suffered yet another final defeat at the hands of the teenage sensation.
The match appeared to swing in Van Veen’s favour when he achieved something remarkable in the fifth leg. Back-to-back 180s followed by a clinical 141 checkout allowed the Dutch number one to register his first-ever televised nine-darter, putting him 3-2 ahead.
However, rather than demoralising Littler, the perfect leg seemed to invigorate him. “It definitely spurred me on,” Littler admitted afterwards. “In my head I was like ‘let’s get him now he’s a bit tired.’
Littler responded ruthlessly, winning six of the subsequent seven legs to clinch the title emphatically. His route to the final was impressively smooth, dispatching Ross Smith, Josh Rock, and Chris Dobey with relative ease.
Van Veen had a more arduous path to the final, narrowly overcoming Nathan Aspinall in a nail-biting last-leg decider before edging past compatriot Wessel Nijman. His biggest scalp came in the semi-finals, defeating world number two Luke Humphries 7-5, despite squandering eight match darts in a tense finale.
Littler remarked on the importance of this win following a challenging start to his Premier League campaign. “In the first three weeks of the Premier League I’ve not felt the best, so I definitely needed this one,” he said. “We can take it onto Belfast on Thursday.”
Conversely, Van Veen reflected on the emotional toll of his perfect leg, joking, “I wish I missed the double 12! Of course I’m very happy to hit the nine-darter but in the next two or three legs, I was not good. I was so excited about the nine-darter, my first ever on stage, but that cost me the final.”
This high-stakes contest underscores how swiftly the balance of momentum can shift in darts, a realm where precision and composure are paramount. Not least for Littler, this win reinforces his status as one of the game’s most formidable young talents.
