Luke Littler stays alive in World Matchplay with tough win after a nail-biting 13-11 victory over Jermaine Wattimena, keeping his title hopes alive with a spot in the quarter-finals. Littler had to dig deep at the Winter Gardens after falling behind early but showed his champion spirit to fight back and claim the win.
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A Rough Start for Littler
Littler, who was in top form with a dominant 10-2 win over Ryan Searle previously, found himself in trouble early as Wattimena stormed to a 4-0 lead, leaving the crowd stunned. Littler managed to take two legs back, but Wattimena pushed on with confidence, extending his lead to 7-2, including a brilliant run with back-to-back 180s and an 11-darter that put him firmly in control.
The Turning Point
Despite the deficit, Littler signalled he wasn’t done yet, pointing to the world champion’s star on his shirt as a reminder of his resilience. He then sparked a comeback, winning six consecutive legs as the pressure began to affect Wattimena’s earlier composure. Wattimena managed to level the game at 8-8 and capitalised on a Littler miss to tie again at 9-9, forcing the match into a tense tiebreaker.
Securing the Win Under Pressure
As both players missed opportunities during the extra legs, Littler kept his cool and found the double-10 he needed to close out the match, sealing a hard-fought win to advance. Reflecting on the match, Littler shared on Sky Sports, “When I pointed to the star on my shirt, I’m a world champion for a reason, I find these gears when I need it.” He added that it was the most pressure he had felt since the world championship’s first round and expressed excitement about getting back on stage for the quarter-finals.
Other Matches on the Night
The night also saw Josh Rock pull off a major upset by defeating three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen 13-11. Rock was down 5-1 but battled back to level at 9-9 before moving ahead to secure the victory. Rock described it as one of the best games he had ever played, noting his excitement and relief at the final whistle.
Gerwyn Price also impressed, cruising past Chris Dobey with an 11-3 win. Price delivered a high-quality performance, averaging 108.73 and hitting eight 180s, with a standout 146 checkout setting the tone early in the match. Price acknowledged the pressure he applied on Dobey, stating it was a strong showing for him.
Andrew Gilding also progressed to the quarter-finals with an 11-5 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode, keeping his campaign alive in the tournament.
