Grand Slam of Darts results: Luke Littler thrashes Martin Lukeman to go fifth in Order of Merit
“I’m so glad to win it. I’ve been playing well all week. It’s been a long week but it’s paid off,” Littler told Sky Sports.
“This is one of the ones I wanted to win. My major record isn’t the best but I just wanted to go deep. Obviously, it’s even better now I’ve won it and it shows I’m still here.”
Littler becomes just the third player, after Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, to average over 100 in every match of a Grand Slam.
He finished with an average of 107.08 – the third highest in a Grand Slam final – and a breathtaking 12 180s and another 15 140s.
Lukeman, who was the first qualifier to reach a Grand Slam final and started the tournament as a 150-1 shot, could not match Littler’s scoring power.
During Littler’s 15-leg run, Lukeman only had one dart at a double and that came on an attempted 142 checkout.
The pair embraced at the end, with Lukeman, who wins £70,000 for finishing second, full of praise for Littler and his impact on the sport in his post-match interview.
“He (Littler) is just different gravy. He’s brilliant, isn’t he?” Lukeman said to Sky Sports.
“He’s done great for the PDC, great for the sport, bringing loads of new fans and sponsorships.”
Littler, who was only 10 months old when the first Grand Slam event was played in 2007, took a deep breath before raising the trophy to the crowd.
A huge smile followed and a gesture to his family as the darts sensation revelled in his 10th trophy of 2024.
Littler won all of his matches in the tournament but has not had it all his own way. He trailed 8-4 in the second round to World Grand Prix winner Mike de Decker and was 11-7 and 13-9 down in the first-to-16 semi-final against Scotland’s Gary Anderson.
He was also 15-14 down and a leg away from an exit, but Littler broke his throw and then held on to secure his final place.
An appearance in next weekend’s Players Championships final (22-24 November) will conclude Littler’s first cycle as a professional.
He will then take part in the World Championships from 15 December, with the draw scheduled to take place on 25 November.
Littler, who finished runner-up on his debut last year, has been installed as the favourite by bookmakers after winning the Grand Slam.
The past two winners of the Grand Slam – Michael Smith and Luke Humphries – have gone on to win the World Championships.
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