Luke Littler shows his true colours with message to beaten opponent after Grand Slam win

Luke Littler breezed past Martin Lukeman to adhd the Grand Slam of Darts trophy to his unthinkable postulation from 2024, but the 17-year-old inactive had a connection for his opponent

Luke Littler sent a classy connection to Martin Lukeman aft breezing past him to triumph the Grand Slam of Darts.

Littler thrashed Lukeman 16-3 to assistance the trophy successful Wolverhampton and prime up a £150,000 winners’ cheque connected Sunday night. It was an utterly ascendant show from the 17-year-old, who needed conscionable 35 minutes to spot disconnected his opponent.

Lukeman took a astonishment 2-0 pb aft breaking Littler’s throw, but the youngster deed backmost successful unthinkable benignant by reeling disconnected 15 consecutive legs. He averaged 107.08 implicit the lucifer to adhd the Grand Slam to his Premier League and World Series of Darts Finals trophies from 2024.

World No.45 Lukeman was playing successful his archetypal televised last and took the decision with bully grace. “Well played @LukeTheNuke180 mate, you are a legend. An honour to stock the signifier with you,” helium wrote connected Twitter. “Really arrogant of the week overall, acknowledgment to my family, friends and everyone that has messaged. Means the world. More to come.”

Littler soon replied: “Top antheral @SmashLukeman180, been people this week should beryllium arrogant and each the champion to you and your family.”

Littler has moved from No.164 successful the PDC satellite rankings to No.5 successful a twelvemonth and has present collected £1million successful prize wealth successful conscionable 11 months. “I’m truthful gladsome to triumph this title,” helium said. “I’ve been playing truly good each tournament; it’s been a pugnacious week, but the hard enactment has paid off!

“I’ve ever got to person my scoring powerfulness with me, nary substance who I play. I had a dilatory commencement against Martin, but I kicked connected from there. I knew coming into the tournament, if I did get my hands connected the trophy I’d beryllium up to fig 5 successful the world.

“There’s inactive much ranking tournaments to spell this year, truthful hopefully I tin spell a spot higher than fig five! I cannot hold to play successful some events. Hopefully I tin person a heavy tally successful Minehead, and past it’s each eyes connected the large one: the World Championship!"

Lukeman has qualified for adjacent year’s Grand Slam of Darts by reaching the final. The 39-year-old bushed Peter Wright, Rob Cross and Leonard Gates successful the radical stage, earlier seeing disconnected Ross Smith and Cross to marque the last against Littler.

He said: “Luke is conscionable antithetic gravy. He is perfectly brilliant. He has done large things for the athletics and has brought successful truthful galore caller fans. I privation Luke and his household each the best. He’s a large kid and I couldn’t unrecorded with him tonight.”