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The Sun
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
‘I felt down.. I just didn't want to play' – Ex-Premier League champion nearly QUIT darts as he opens up on heartbreak
EMOTIONAL Jonny Clayton has revealed he came close to QUITTING darts as he struggled to cope with the death of his dad. The Welshman enjoyed an great run at the World Matchplay, reaching the semi-finals where he was then knocked out by James Wade in an all-time classic clash. 2 Their last four match went down as the longest ever semi-final in World Matchplay history, as 2023 runner-up Clayton fought back from 16-10 down to force a tiebreak. The Machine eventually won it 20-18 to set up a final clash with eventual winner Luke Littler, who clinched glory with a 18-13 victory. Despite narrowly missing out on a shot at the trophy, there were plenty of positives for Clayton to take from an impressive week in Blackpool. The 'Ferret' thrashed world No.4 Stephen Bunting 16-7 to book his spot in the last four, which was his fourth major semi-final this year. But Clayton was prepared to walk away from darts altogether after a tough period following the sudden death of his dad John in 2023 on the eve of a flight Down Under. But after beating Bunting, the 50-year-old revealed he has now rediscovered his love of the sport. He said: 'I've changed my mind! I've got the hunger back. I don't know what it is. I felt a bit down in darts, but I want to be one of the best. 'It hurts that I've dropped from world number five to nine with the rankings, but I'm climbing back up slowly. I want to be with the elite. 'When you're there, people respect you more than what they do when you are further down the rankings. 'If you're not playing well, no matter your ranking, people pick up on it. Luke Littler sends Blackpool wild as he wins World Matchplay Darts 'But if you're playing well, it's a step in the right direction. I had to do a job against Stephen, and I did." Clayton then opened up on how his tragic loss has affected him, as he admitted losing all motivation to play the sport. The former plasterer added: 'I don't think I have hit top gear here yet. "But I am back on the practice board and that is something I have not done for probably a year and a half. 'We all know two years ago with my dad passing I just did not want to play. 'I have a smile back on my face now and I have two kids who want me to do well.' Clayton has certainly managed to bounce back this year, having picked up a Euro Tour title at the Dutch Darts Championship in May. He also narrowly missed out on glory at the World Cup of Darts, as he and Wales team-mate Gerwyn Price were beaten 10-9 in the final by Northern Irish pair Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney. The Welsh darts star is a four-time major winner, with all of these titles coming in 2021. In one-year, Clayton tasted glory in the Premier League, World Masters, World Grand Prix and the World Series of Darts Finals.
The Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Sun
‘I can't believe that' – James Wade breaks etiquette in Luke Littler clash leaving darts fans fuming
JAMES WADE shocked fans by walking off the World Matchplay stage and choosing not to conduct a live post-final Sky Sports interview. The Machine was beaten 18-13 by sensational Luke Littler, the reigning world champion, on Sunday night in Blackpool. 5 5 It was the second time he had lost a major final to The Nuke, having been demolished 11-2 in the UK Open finale in March. The etiquette, but not protocol, is for the runners-up to receive their trophy on stage and then hang around to speak to the host broadcaster. In this case it would have been with the excellent reporter Polly James for Sky. Yet emotion clearly got the better of Wade who, once he received his silver plate off PDC chief executive Matt Porter, swiftly left the oche and went backstage. It surprised TV viewers who were treated to an interview with Littler but not with the 42-year-old Aldershot ace, a father of two. It means, quite unusually, there were not quotes from Wade about how he played or what perhaps he could have done differently. Littler's victory, aged 18, means he replaced Wade in the history books as the youngest winner of the World Matchplay, one of the most coveted events on the calendar. There are no suggestions that Wade, the new world No.5, will be fined or reprimanded for his actions as there is no obligation to speak. Yet it is good form and good manners to speak to the fans and live TV audience. Or even hang around as Littler celebrated lifting the Phil Taylor Trophy in front of the Winter Gardens audience. This is exactly what Wade – a 11-time major winner – did when he lost in the UK Open showpiece occasion at Butlin's Minehead earlier this year. Once this event, which was broadcast on ITV, was over, he spoke glowingly about the teenager that had just destroyed him on the oche. Wade said back on the night of Sunday March 2: 'I'm the senior dart player, but he absolutely smashed me to bits! 'What can you do against that? He was the far superior player. Fair play to Luke. At the moment, he is comfortably the best or second best dart player in the world.' You wonder if his decision to walk away early will impact his chances of being selected by the PDC for the Premier League Darts competition in 2026. 5 5 That is, of course, unless he breaks into the top four spots in the Order of Merit, in which case he would be an automatic pick for next year's Prem. His absence from the stage as the ticker-tape fell on Littler's head surprised fans, James O'Hara expressed his displeasure on social media by saying: 'I can't believe Wade left the stage before Littler even lifted the trophy!' Disappointed Tom Clayton wrote a sarcastic message on X, which said: 'Nice to see Wade stay on stage to watch Littler lift the trophy. Not! Piss poor that.'
The Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Why Luke Littler is still not world No1 despite best darts player on the planet completing Triple Crown within 15 months
LUKE LITTLER is the best darts player in the world at present – but why is he not the world No.1 according to the PDC? Midway through his second year as a professional player, The Nuke completed the Triple Crown set when he lifted the Betfred World Matchplay at Blackpool's Winter Gardens on Sunday night. 5 5 Within a 15-month period, the 18-year-old has taken possession of the Premier League Darts crown, the World Championship and now the Matchplay title – the three most prestigious and richest tournaments in the sport. Littler is Box Office material and his 18-13 victory in the final over James Wade was secured with a three-dart average of 107.24. That was the highest seen in the final since Phil Taylor was victorious in 2014 – the year he won his 15th of a record 16 crowns – with 107.19. The £200,000 winner's cheque means the Warrington teen has earned £1,500,500 in ranking money since the start of January 2024. That total does not include the HALF A MILLION pounds he has earned from competing in two editions of the Premier League. Luke Humphries is top of the standings with £1,797,750 but the gap is only £297,250 and there is a fair chance Littler will become the official world No.1 come the end of the year. In fact it might come sooner than that when the packed autumn schedule begins and there is a run of four major TV titles that carry lucrative cash sums. The PDC Order of Merit is based on prize money won over a two-year period by players in ranking tournaments. 5 List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries 2025 - Luke Littler Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler In the latter half of 2023, Humphries, 30, announced himself as the dominant figure, winning the World Grand Prix (£120,000), Grand Slam of Darts (£150,000) and Players Championship Finals (£120,000) – before lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy (£500,000) for the first time. In total, Cool Hand Luke has to defend £890,000 prize money between October 6, 2025 and January 3, 2026. Luke Littler, 18, plants kiss on girlfriend Faith, 19, during walk-on for World Matchplay Darts quarter-final In contrast, Littler is defending NOTHING right now because he is yet to complete a full second term in the pro ranks. Everything he gets is a free hit and will only boost his chances of being the top oche thrower. If Humphries were to keep losing in the early rounds – his Matchplay defence ended in round one in a 10-8 loss to Gian van Veen – and Littler continues to win, then the switch between the two Lukes will take place sooner than possible. It might happen in November at the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton, that is assuming Humphries is knocked out early at the World Grand Prix in Leicester. 5 There is a strong chance come the start of the 2025/26 PDC World Darts Championships, which begins on December 11 and is now a 20-day event, then Littler will return to Ally Pally, where he was victorious in January, as the undisputed best player on the planet. Do not forget, of course, that the prize money for the Worlds has doubled from £500,000 to £1million this time, which completely skewers the world ranking standings even more for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. I've looked at the rankings provisionally. I'm No.1 for the Worlds if Luke doesn't defend all that prize money." Luke Littler after winning the World Matchplay Littler has long said that his main ambitions in the sport are to win every major at least once and become world No.1. That might happen sooner than he wants – indeed this time next year he may tick off all those targets. Speaking on Sunday night with the Phil Taylor Trophy in his hands, Littler said that he had looked at the PDC website and had done the maths. He said: 'The start of my career I wanted to win one of every major. There's not that many to go. 'I've looked at the rankings provisionally. I'm No.1 for the Worlds if Luke doesn't defend all that prize money. 'Obviously I don't want him to. But we'll just have to find out and try and add more money to my rankings.' Asked if he would still have the hunger to win after potentially lifting every major title at least once, Littler replied: 'That's what everybody is probably thinking once I've won one of everything. 'But for myself, I have to build on it and get multiple of everything, triple of everything. Once I win one of everything, I won't pack it in just yet.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Luke Littler beats James Wade to claim World Matchplay crown for first time
Luke Littler won his first World Matchplay crown as James Wade's run in Blackpool fell at the final hurdle. Littler claimed a hard-fought 18-13 victory at the Winter Gardens to become the fifth player to win the PDC triple crown – Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries having also won World Championship, Matchplay and Premier League titles. Wade was in his seventh Matchplay final 18 years on from his solitary success in 2007, which came six months after Littler was born. Littler's scoring power in a high-quality contest proved decisive – he hit 17 180s to Wade's six in averaging 107 – and set a new tournament record of 64 maximums, beating Adrian Lewis' previous best of 56. 'It means absolutely everything,' Littler told Sky Sports after winning the last four legs to hold the Phil Taylor Trophy aloft. 'I idolise Phil, he's come here 16 times and won it. Now my name is on this trophy – and I can say I've completed the triple crown. 'Since I started on the tour and got my tour card I've always said to myself: 'As long as I win one of every major I'll be happy'. I've only got a few left to tick off and I'll definitely chase the majors I haven't won yet.' Littler had to mount another comeback 24 hours after losing the first five legs of his semi-final to Northern Ireland's Josh Rock. Wade stormed into a 5-0 lead but did not have a single dart at a double in the second mini-session as Littler levelled in style. The 42-year-old left-hander produced an 11-darter in the next, but Littler responded by winning successive legs to lead for the first time at 7-6. Wade managed to keep in touch, helped by a bull finish in the 19th leg, and fought back from a double break down to cut the gap to just one at 14-13. But Littler pulled away and crossed the line in style with a 115 out shot (20-57-38), the biggest finish of the match. 'A little bit,' Littler said when asked if he had felt in control. 'Five-nil down once again, I said: 'I've been here before, what are you doing?' But I managed to pull it out of the bag and win the next five. I've shown I can come back from 5-0 or 7-3 down. I'm happy I can pull myself out of these scorelines, but I don't want to be 5-0 down again. James started to drop off a bit and I started to find my best darts.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion By winning the title 18-year-old Littler became the youngest ever champion in Matchplay history, six years younger than Wade when he lifted the title.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Luke Littler beats James Wade to win first World Matchplay crown in Blackpool
Luke Littler won his first World Matchplay crown as James Wade's remarkable run in Blackpool fell at the final hurdle. Littler claimed a hard-fought 18-13 victory at the Winter Gardens to become the fifth player to win the PDC Triple Crown – Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Luke Humphries having also won World Championship, Matchplay and Premier League titles. Advertisement Wade was in his seventh Matchplay final 18 years on from his solitary success in 2007, which came six months after Littler was born. Luke Littler is the new king of the Winter Gardens! 👑 The 18-year-old produces another spectacular performance to become the youngest champion in the history of the Betfred World Matchplay! 👏 — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 27, 2025 Littler's scoring power in a high-quality contest proved decisive – he hit 17 180s to Wade's six in averaging 107 – and set a new tournament record of 64 maximums, beating Adrian Lewis' previous best of 56. 'It means absolutely everything,' Littler told Sky Sports after winning the last four legs to hold the Phil Taylor Trophy aloft. 'I idolise Phil, he's come here 16 times and won it. Now my name is on this trophy – and I can say I've completed the Triple Crown. Advertisement 'Since I started on the Tour and got my Tour card I've always said to myself, 'as long as I win one of every major I'll be happy.' 'I've only got a few left to tick off and I'll definitely chase the majors I haven't won yet.' Littler had to mount another comeback 24 hours after losing the first five legs of his semi-final to Northern Ireland's Josh Rock. Wade stormed into a 5-0 lead but did not have a single dart at a double in the second mini-session as Littler levelled in style. Advertisement The 42-year-old left-hander produced an 11-darter in the next, but Littler responded by winning successive legs to lead for the first time at 7-6. Wade managed to keep in touch, helped by a bull finish in the 19th leg, and fought back from a double break down to cut the gap to just one at 14-13. LITTLER REIGNS AT THE WINTER GARDENS! ☢️ LUKE LITTLER IS THE 2025 WORLD MATCHPLAY CHAMPION! The World Champion produces a sensational display to defeat James Wade 18-13 and lift the Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time! 👏 #MatchplayDarts | Final — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 27, 2025 But Littler pulled away and crossed the line in style with a 115 out shot (20-57-38), the biggest finish of the match. 'A little bit,' Littler said when asked if he had felt in control. 'Five-nil down once again, I said, 'I've been here before, what are you doing?' Advertisement 'But I managed to pull it out of the bag and win the next five. I've shown I can come back from 5-0 or 7-3 down. 'I'm happy I can pull myself out of these scorelines, but I don't want to be 5-0 down again. 'James started to drop off a bit and I started to find my best darts.' By winning the title 18-year-old Littler became the youngest ever champion in Matchplay history, six years younger than Wade when he lifted the title. Advertisement
