Luke Littler added another major title to his honours list by picking up the UK Open in Minehead.
The world champion topped off an impressive tournament run with an astonishing 11-2 win in the final against James Wade.
Speaking to ITV Sport after his triumph, he said: “It is one I have wanted to win. It is my third time here. I came here two years ago as a 16-year-old, last year I was in the quarter-final and now I have gone two better this year to win it. I had a job to do, I just wanted to pick up the trophy and it is one I can tick off the list now.”
Littler’s run to glory began in round four, thanks to his place inside the worlds top 32. He was drawn against two-time world champion Peter Wright. The game was to be a thrilling encounter, with many breaks of throw which kept the game on a knife edge. It went all the way, with Littler coming on top after a break in the final leg to secure a 10-9 win and move on to the next round.
The draw gave Littler a round five tie against European Championship finalist Jermaine Wattimena. This match would be a bit more routine. He averaged 104, managed four breaks, and secured a 10-4 victory which ensured a comfortable passage to the next round.
Littler’s opponent in round six was to be the Pole Krzysztof Ratajski. The match was more like his first, as it was a lot closer of a contest. Only a break from Littler in leg 18 prevented a last leg, as it secured him a well fought 10-8 victory to move him into the final day of action at Butlins.
Littler was to face another Dutchman in the quarter-final, in the form of Gian van Veen. He produced his best average in this match, 107, and picked up legs with relative ease. The only highlight from van Veen was a 161 checkout, and The Nuke comfortably wrapped up a 10-4 victory which moved him into finals night.
The semi-final saw Littler face Welshman Jonny Clayton. The match began on a level footing, and it looked like The Ferret may start to be forming an advantage, a 126 out followed by a break put him 4-3 up. This advantage was to be short lived however, as the world champion broke straight back, which saw the beginning of the end for the Welshman. He only picked up two more legs, and the 18-year-old stormed into the final with an 11-6 victory, and another strong average of 106.
In the final, Littler was to come up against three-time winner of the UK Open James Wade. It was to be an absolute demolition job. The Nuke surged into a quite staggering 9-0 lead, wrapping the game up not much longer, a 101 average enough for an 11-2 scoreline. While it was an under-par performance from The Machine, it was still a staggering way for the teenager to win yet another major title.
Victory at the UK Open makes it an astonishing fourth major title for the teenager, after just over 14 months as a professional player. Littler will earn £110,000 in ranking money for his triumph, and it closes the gap between him and Luke Humphries at world number one to around £600,000. The Nuke will next be in action on Thursday, as he looks to record another Premier League nightly win in Brighton.