Luke Littler became the first player to reach three nightly wins in the Premier League this year by winning night seven in Cardiff.
The world champion defeated Nathan Aspinall and Rob Cross before beating Dutchman Michael van Gerwen 6-4 in the final, in a match which saw him hit a nine-dart leg.
Speaking to Sky Sports after his victory, Littler said: “I have been playing very well. I have not picked my darts up since last Thursday – I had a week off to chill. But to come here and win and be six points clear, I am comfortable. All players have to have a rest and after the performance tonight, I will have another week off!”
Littler’s run to glory began with a quarter-final clash against fellow Englishman Nathan Aspinall. The first big moment of the match came in the third leg when Aspinall broke throw to gain the lead. He was unable to press home any advantage however, with the world champion immediately breaking back to keep the match moving on throw.
The sixth leg began a streak of three straight breaks of throw, finished off by a 100 out from The Nuke which saw him go 5-3 up and within a leg of the match. He was able to finish the match at the earliest opportunity, a hold of throw sealing a 6-3 victory, and moving him into yet another semi-final.
In the other quarter-finals, Chris Dobey recorded a huge win in a clash with Stephen Bunting, winning 6-2 to keep The Bullet winless this campaign, Michael van Gerwen defeated Luke Humphries 6-4, and Rob Cross edged past Gerwyn Price, with Voltage producing a 170 out in a last-leg decider to win 6-5.
Victory for Cross set him up to face Littler in the semi-final. It was the 18-year-old who started brightest, storming into a 3-0 and having the advantage of throw in the next leg. Cross was able to break straight back though, and consolidated with a hold to bring himself back within a leg.
Voltage would not win another leg after that however, as The Nuke kicked into another three leg burst, holding with a 109 out, then breaking, then securing a 6-2 victory with a 120 out, to send him into a staggering fifth nightly final, which means Littler has only missed the final on two occasions so far this year.
In the other semi-final, Michael van Gerwen took advantage of a poor performance from Chris Dobey, destroying the Geordie 6-1 to set up yet another meeting with the world champion.
The final began in chaotic fashion, with the first three legs all being breaks of throw, which left the score at 2-1 to Littler. He was to hold his throw in the next leg, and he did it in spectacular style.
The 18-year-old opened the leg with a 180, and was followed by van Gerwen who also got his leg off to a perfect start. The Dutchman was unable to maintain perfection, but the world champion could, hitting another 180 to leave himself on 141 for a nine-darter. Littler began the visit with a treble 20, followed by a treble 17, which left The Nuke double 15. He hit it, which sparked bedlam, both in the crowd and on the stage, as the teenage sensation recorded yet another nine-dart leg to add to his collection.
Van Gerwen fought back to 3-3, with the second leg he won beginning a run of four straight breaks of throw, which when over left Littler a leg away from the match at 5-4. He broke this streak in the tenth leg, which would be the last, as it pushed him over the finishing line, to a 6-4 victory, and a third nightly win in this year’s Premier League. He becomes the first player so far to reach that total this year.
Another nightly win for Littler extends his lead at the top of the table to six points, with The Nuke becoming the first player on 20 points or more this year, 21 to be exact. Humphries is still second, but failed to pick up points for a second straight week, and so remains on 15. A first final for van Gerwen moves him up to third, with 13 points to his name, while the top four is rounded off by Gerwyn Price, who has 12 points.
The league heads north to Newcastle next week, where the fixtures will be decided by current league position instead of being scheduled. This is the first of two times this happens, with the other being on night sixteen.