Price beaten in Matchplay final as Littler defends title
Luke Littler successfully defended his World Matchplay title in Blackpool, beating seventh seed Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the final, and in doing so broke Phil Taylor's long-standing tournament and final average records. The 19-year-old becomes only the third player, after Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, to win back-to-back Matchplay titles, further cementing his status as the world number one and the dominant force in darts.
Littler averaged 111.04 across the week, surpassing Taylor's 2010 tournament record of 106.31, and hit 111.53 in the final itself to beat Taylor's 2013 final record of 111.23. He also threw 66 maximums across the tournament, a new record, including 12 in the final alone, and earned £225,000 for the win, taking his two-year PDC order of merit total to £3,143,500, well clear of second-placed Luke Humphries. Price, who also averaged over 100 in defeat, praised his opponent while climbing to fourth in the world rankings, and Littler said afterwards he now intends to chase an unprecedented clean sweep of PDC ranking titles this year.
- Luke Littler retains World Matchplay title, beating Gerwyn Price 18-9
- Littler broke Phil Taylor's tournament and final average records
- Now targets a first-ever clean sweep of PDC ranking titles this year
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The World Matchplay is one of darts' most prestigious annual tournaments, held in Blackpool. It brings together the world's top players who compete in a knockout format.
Luke Littler is a 19-year-old English professional darts player who has become the sport's dominant force. He currently holds the world number one ranking and has already won several major titles despite his young age.
Successfully defending a major tournament title is a rare achievement that only the sport's greatest players accomplish. By winning the Matchplay twice in a row, Littler has joined an elite group and reinforced his position as the world's best darts player.