Littler in Premier League play-offs after Aberdeen win
Luke Littler has made the final in six of the 14 weeks so far
- Published
Teenager Luke Littler secured his place in the Premier League play-offs by beating Rob Cross 6-4 in the final on night 14 in Aberdeen.
The 17-year-old's victory was his fourth of the season and he has beaten 2020 world champion Cross in successive weekly finals.
Littler is joined in the four-man play-offs at London's O2 Arena on 23 May by world number one Luke Humphries, who has secured his place because of the remaining fixtures.
Warrington-born Littler is eight points clear of world champion Humphries and is well placed to seal top spot with just two weeks left of the regular season.
"I can just play with a free throw now that I'm through. I'll play to win but if it's not to be, it's all about getting ready for London," Littler told Sky Sports.
Asked if he is the best player in the world at the moment, Littler replied: "No. I don't know who is."
Despite not believing he is, Littler is in phenomenal form.
He has won 12 games in a row across two Premier League weeks with a European Tour success in Austria in between.
Littler was scratchy in his quarter-final against Nathan Aspinall, surviving match dart and a checkout percentage of just 24% to claim a final-leg win.
He was annoyed by persistent whistling by the crowd and rushed to the side of the stage and shushed them after sealing victory.
His semi-final performance was scintillating though as he brushed aside 2023 world champion Michael Smith to win 6-1.
Littler averaged 110.1 and hit six of seven doubles to reach his fifth nightly final in six weeks.
He exchanged breaks with Cross twice in the opening six legs, before claiming the ninth leg against the throw to move to within one.
Cross, who keeps his slim play-off hopes alive, missed double six to force a decider before Littler hit his favoured double 10 to secure the win.
Elsewhere Smith gained two points on Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen as the race for the final two play-off spots intensifies.
Gerwyn Price is out of contention though after pulling out of night 14 because of a trapped nerve in his back.
The final weekly round in Sheffield on 16 May sees fourth play fifth and that may well decide the last spot.
Premier League Darts night 14 results
Quarter-finals
Peter Wright 4-6 Michael Smith
Luke Littler 6-5 Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen 5-6 Rob Cross
Luke Humphries bye (Gerwyn Price withdrew due to injury)
Semi-finals
Smith 1-6 Littler
Cross 6-5 Humphries
Final
Littler 6-4 Cross
Premier League Darts table
Premier League Darts format and points system
Premier League Darts is played across 16 initial weeks in the league stage with quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final each night.
Each of the eight players is guaranteed to face the other seven in the quarter-finals in weeks 1-7 and 9-15, with weeks 8 and 16's fixtures done off the table. It means we will get fourth v fifth in Sheffield on the final league-stage night, with the play-off spots potentially on the line.
Players earn two points per quarter-final win, an additional point if they win their semi-final and five for winning the night.
The top four players after the group stage progress to the play-off night at London's O2 Arena on 23 May, with first facing fourth and second against third in a best-of-19-leg match. The final, which is the best of 21 legs, follows.
If players are level on points after the 16 weeks then places are decided by nights won and then matches won.
Premier League Darts night 15 order of play
9 May in Leeds
Michael van Gerwen v Gerwyn Price
Luke Littler v Peter Wright
Luke Humphries v Rob Cross
Nathan Aspinall v Michael Smith