Luke Littler admitted that he struggled to “get over the line” in his last 32 match with Martin Schindler at the UK Open on Saturday. The 17-year-old reached the quarter-finals and has his sights set on a first major darts title in Minehead.
Littler was 5-3 down to world No. 23 Schindler during the day’s first session but recovered to win 10-8 and set up a next-round clash with Dave Chisnall. He then had a much-improved performance, averaging 103.38 to defeat his fellow Englishman 10-5 and set up a quarter-final with Australian star Damon Heta.
Littler will need to claim three wins in a day to take his maiden PDC senior title, starting with a battle against Heta in Sunday’s first session. And he will hope to be better prepared than the previous day when a skipped breakfast left Littler feeling sick before going out to play.
“I just chill myself out and go on my phone and just go and get some food,” Littler said in a press conference when asked how he coped during breaks between matches. “Because this morning I didn’t have breakfast so I was feeling sick because there was nothing in my stomach and my adrenaline was going. That first game today was really hard to get over the line.
“I think if everyone didn’t know they do now that I am not a morning person. So I did struggle this morning but I managed to get over the line against Martin. But after that game I chilled out and had some food, I think I always play better in the evening. I think every player thinks that they play better in the evening.”
Littler claimed that it would be “unbelievable” to win the UK Open, but is not getting too carried away with the prospect of lifting the title. He was installed as the favourite to win the tournament and £110,000 after Michael van Gerwen’s surprise first-round exit. But for now, his sole focus will be on defeating Heta.
“Like I said yesterday, whoever comes out of the hat that’s who I am playing and I have just got to focus on my own game,” Littler added. “It would be unbelievable (to win the UK Open), I have not even thought about it, I just take it game by game.
“That’s what I have to do (play three times in one day), you have to play the game and if you’re lucky to win then you go onto the next one.”
The semi-finals and final will be played on the same day as the quarters, with the likes of Luke Humphries, Rob Cross and Stephen Bunting all remaining challengers for Littler if he has a stable breakfast and overcomes Heta.
