Latest news with #Wimbledon-style
Scottish Sun
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Emotional commentator left fearing for Luke Littler after ‘absolutely out of order' incident at World Cup of Darts
The PDC have been urged to take action NOT A GOOD LUKE Emotional commentator left fearing for Luke Littler after 'absolutely out of order' incident at World Cup of Darts LUKE LITTLER may never return to Germany following the World Cup of Darts. Littler and England team-mate Luke Humphries were dumped out of the tournament by the host nation. Advertisement 2 Luke Littler was booed by the German crowd at the World Cup of Darts Credit: Getty 2 It has been suggested that he will not go back to the country Credit: Getty The English received a harsh reception as the German crowd booed relentlessly. Littler, 18, was on the end of boos from his very first dart which left him "completely rattled". Belgian darts legend Erik Clarys hit out at the crowd as it could have an "effect" on players as young as Littler. He said on VTM: "Just imagine being Luke Littler. Advertisement READ MORE DARTS NEWS What a racquet Major change to PDC World Darts as new Wimbledon-style format introduced "He's still so young. Everywhere else, he's celebrated – but here in Germany, he's being booed from start to finish. "I've worked with kids his age on the Development Tour. "You can't imagine the effect something like this has on young players. "It gets into your head. All you want to do is go home. Far away." Advertisement JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS His comments were echoed by darts commentator Rudy Lanssens, who claimed that Littler may not return to the country as the fans' behaviour was "out of order". He added: "This wouldn't happen in Belgium – at least not so obviously and unsportingly. Gerwyn Price runs rule over Luke Littler and Luke Humphries' England's World Cup of Darts flop "I wouldn't be surprised if Luke Littler never sets foot in Germany again. Advertisement "This kind of behaviour is absolutely out of order. "The PDC has to step in – this is completely unacceptable." The England pair were slammed for a lack of teamwork by Welsh ace Gerwyn Price. Price insisted that they lacked "connection" and that they needed more "camaraderie off the stage". Advertisement Fans compared the shocking exit of the tournament to the failures of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard with the England national football team.
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
World Darts Championship chiefs confirm major changes including £1m jackpot
Luke Littler is the reigning World Darts Championship winner after his historic triumph over Michael van Gerwen just 17 to claim a £500,000 prize - and that money has now been bumped up to £1m for this year's competition World Darts Championship chiefs have confirmed the format for their competition ahead of this year's tournament at Ally Pally, with the likes of Luke Littler having to win at least seven games to claim the new £1million prize. Littler became the youngest winner of the championship in January as he became world champion aged 17 in a moment that catapulted him to super stardom in darts. His 7-3 triumph over Michael van Gerwen saw him claim a £500,000 jackpot and now chiefs are preparing to upgrade their total prize fund to £5m for the first time due to the increasing popularity of the sport. The newest edition of the tournament will also have more players than ever. There will be 128 taking part ahead of the start date in December, running until January 2026. And chiefs are now preparing a format shift for darts' biggest competition, introducing a Wimbledon-style system with a seeded structure similar to the tennis Grand Slam. The top 32 players in the world will be seeded, with those ranked below drawn at random against the 64 qualifiers. The players in the top 40 from the PDC Order of Merit will qualify automatically, as will the top 40 non-qualified stars from the ProTour Order of Merit. And with a significant increase in players taking part - going up from 96 in the 2024-25 event - the biggest stars like Littler, Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen will have to play even more matches to claim their grand prize of £1m. PDC chief Matt Porter said the huge increase of the prize money summed up darts' status as one of the most exciting and popular sports in the world at present. He said: "The £1 million prize for the World Champion reflects darts' standing as one of the most exciting and in-demand sports in the world and the historic total will rightly attract headlines as the biggest prize ever paid out in the sport. "However, the increased prize funds announced today demonstrate our commitment to growing earning potential for players at all levels within the PDC system. "The incredible growth of the PDC in recent years has seen darts elevated to levels never seen before both in terms of playing opportunities and global interest and this is a huge moment for all players with the ambition to make it to the very pinnacle of the sport."
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Major change to PDC World Darts as Luke Littler forced to go through Wimbledon style format to win £1million jackpot
The top 40 stars after one tournament will automatically qualify What a racquet Major change to PDC World Darts as Luke Littler forced to go through Wimbledon style format to win £1million jackpot Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LUKE LITTLER will have to win SEVEN games to claim a £1million jackpot – as darts chiefs adopt a Wimbledon-style draw for the next PDC World Championship. And a minimum of four women will compete on the Alexandra Palace stage this Christmas at the sport's biggest ever tournament. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Luke Littler will have to battle through a Wimbledon-style format to retain his World Darts Champion title Credit: Getty 2 The 2025/26 edition of the event will be the biggest ever, with double the prize money and a record 128 players Credit: Alamy A record 128 darts players will participate in the lucrative flagship event, which starts in December 2025 and runs until the first week of January 2026. In a landmark move, the Professional Darts Corporation have increased the prize money for the winner of the Sid Waddell Trophy, doubling it from £500,000 to a record £1million. The total prize fund will top £5million for the first time. Littler – the sport's most high-profile figure – became the youngest world champion in history when he lifted the title aged 17 on January 3, beating 7-3 Dutchman Michael van Gerwen in the final at Ally Pally. READ MORE IN DARTS NOT A GOOD LUKE Is Littler and Humphries' friendship a facade? Inside their World Cup fail In previous editions, when it was a 96-player field, the top names were parachuted into the competition via the second round. This time, however, it will be a straight 128-player draw with the top 32 in the world being seeded. This is a similar structure to the men's and women's singles draws at Wimbledon. Players ranked 33-64 will be drawn at random into the left-hand side of the draw against the remaining 64 qualifiers. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The top 40 players from the PDC Order of Merit following November's Players Championship Finals at Butlin's Minehead will qualify automatically. The top 40 non-qualified players from the ProTour Order of Merit will also feature in this year's extravaganza – with the remaining 48 places allocated to international qualifiers. Luke Littler and Luke Humphries BOOED by German crowd on day they got their MBEs but fans love their 's---house' walk-on Places will be allocated for the World Youth Champion, Women's World Matchplay Winner and top performers in Australia, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Japan and Poland. As the illegal war rages in Ukraine, players from Russia and Belarus may only enter 'subject to certain special conditions' – but the PDC have yet to clarify what that entails. Later this year, a historic Sky Sports £125million five-year TV deal will kick-in as more money than ever floods into the sport.
The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Major change to PDC World Darts as Luke Littler forced to go through Wimbledon style format to win £1million jackpot
LUKE LITTLER will have to win SEVEN games to claim a £1million jackpot – as darts chiefs adopt a Wimbledon-style draw for the next PDC World Championship. And a minimum of four women will compete on the Alexandra Palace stage this Christmas at the sport's biggest ever tournament. Advertisement 2 Luke Littler will have to battle through a Wimbledon-style format to retain his World Darts Champion title Credit: Getty 2 The 2025/26 edition of the event will be the biggest ever, with double the prize money and a record 128 players Credit: Alamy A record 128 darts players will participate in the lucrative flagship event, which starts in December 2025 and runs until the first week of January 2026. In a landmark move, the Professional Darts Corporation have increased the prize money for the winner of the Sid Waddell Trophy, doubling it from £500,000 to a record £1million. The total prize fund will top £5million for the first time. history when he lifted the title aged 17 on January 3, beating 7-3 Dutchman Michael van Gerwen in the final at Ally Pally. Advertisement READ MORE IN DARTS In previous editions, when it was a 96-player field, the top names were parachuted into the competition via the second round. This time, however, it will be a straight 128-player draw with the top 32 in the world being seeded. This is a similar structure to the men's and women's singles draws at Wimbledon. Players ranked 33-64 will be drawn at random into the left-hand side of the draw against the remaining 64 qualifiers. Advertisement Most read in Darts Latest Exclusive BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The top 40 players from the PDC Order of Merit following November's Players Championship Finals at Butlin's Minehead will qualify automatically. The top 40 non-qualified players from the ProTour Order of Merit will also feature in this year's extravaganza – with the remaining 48 places allocated to international qualifiers. Luke Littler and Luke Humphries BOOED by German crowd on day they got their MBEs but fans love their 's---house' walk-on Places will be allocated for the World Youth Champion, Women's World Matchplay Winner and top performers in Australia, China, Advertisement As the illegal war rages in Ukraine, players from Russia and Belarus may only enter 'subject to certain special conditions' – but the PDC have yet to clarify what that entails. Later this year, a historic Sky Sports £125million five-year TV deal will kick-in as more money than ever floods into the sport.
The Guardian
26-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Don't dig, pair plants and automate the mowing: eight gardening hacks you'll wish you'd known sooner
Do you dream of a gorgeous garden but dread the thought of all the digging, weeding, watering and waiting that's involved in getting one? You're certainly not alone. Many of us yearn for a stunning outdoor sanctuary, yet don't have the time or the resources to make it happen. Or do we? We've found eight ways to up your garden game effortlessly, so you can literally sit back and smell the roses.1 Don't only rely on flowers for colour The obvious way to add colour to a garden is with flowers. But if you're not blessed with green fingers and/or a budget to splash out on a host of plants, there are other routes to a vibrant outdoor space. Sheds, fences and walls are prime candidates for a bright paint job – terracotta, coral and even a little 'unexpected red' are on-trend colours that will bring instant zing. That said, a dark charcoal grey or denim blue backdrop will really make green foliage pop. And, of course, you can upcycle wooden furniture with an exciting colour change. Tables and chairs are obvious candidates, but you could also think outside the box and transform an old side table into a punchy potting bench. Pots are another great canvas – you can make plastic pots look very expensive with chalk paint, even mimicking the look of terracotta or stone. And it's super-simple to apply. There's no pre-treatment of the surface, just make sure it's clean and stipple the paint on. Not so great with a brush? Then look to textiles for that colour boost. Dress furniture with weather-resistant cushions and throws, or make a bigger impact with a colourful outdoor rug that will also hide grubby decking or a patio past its prime. 2 Embrace the 'no dig' approach Digging and turning your old soil to make way for new plants can not only be back-breaking work, but most horticulturists are now of the view that it can also be bad for your soil, disturbing the ecosystem of worms and fungi, disrupting water drainage channels and releasing carbon, to boot. So put down that shovel and take care of your soil the easy way with no-dig gardening. Unless the soil is particularly weedy, just spread a three- to five-inch layer of compost or other organic matter on top (ideally made in your own compost bin) and plant directly into it. Add a little mulch on top in the form of bark chippings, and you'll also reduce the amount of weeding and watering you'll need to do. 3 Let a robot handle the mowing For some people, cutting the lawn meticulously, perhaps with Wimbledon-style stripes, will be the labour of love that makes their Sunday afternoon. But most of us would rather be soaking up the sun with a good book in hand than wrestling with a lawnmower, even if we do love the look of grass versus gravel. In that case, now could be the time to invest in a robot to do the job for you. Honda's Miimo range* of intelligent robotic mowers are big on cutting performance and perfect for mowing all sizes of lawns, from veritable postage stamps to small pastures. Winner of a Red Dot Design Award, the Miimo will stylishly navigate your lawn with the aid of boundary wires and a satellite navigation system, ensuring every blade of grass gets cut – but your prize petunias don't. Just tell Miimo when to mow through the in-app scheduling assistant, and off it'll go. The weatherproof casing will protect Miimo in the rain, and for security there's a built-in alarm that sounds if your Miimo is lifted – you will have a code to switch it off. 4 Make strategic plant pairingsDid you know that buddying up certain species of plants can save you a whole heap of time in the garden? By mastering the art of companion planting, you'll be able to worry less about pest control and feeding your plants, as they will essentially look out for each other. For example, thyme and roses are fine plant companions, as thyme's strong scent will deter the main scourge of roses, blackfly. And as well as making tasty soup, tomatoes and basil are a dream couple when planted side by side. Not only will the basil's scent deter whitefly, it's also said to make your tomatoes tastier and doesn't require much in the way of nutrients, leaving your tomatoes with all the goodness they need to grow. 5 Cut out the weeds with cardboard Weeding has to be the number one least loved garden task. But rather than getting on your hands and knees (or resorting to chemical solutions), just wait for your next parcel to arrive. Yes, cardboard boxes are the ultimate natural weed suppressant, and can cover large expanses of pesky unwanted growth in an instant. To suppress weeds with cardboard, lay plain, damp cardboard sheets (removing any glossy bits, plastic or tape) over the area, overlapping them to block sunlight. Add mulch or compost on top to weigh the cardboard down – this smothers the weeds and enriches the soil as the cardboard breaks down. Other ways to kill off weeds naturally include pouring boiling water or a white vinegar solution on them, or substituting cardboard for newspaper.6 Go wild Embracing wilderness in at least a corner of your garden will provide you with a patch of raw beauty for very little effort. 'Meadowscaping' involves replacing a patch of lawn or a flowerbed with native grasses and wildflowers. Once established, your meadow will need very little maintenance – particularly if you pick perennial wildflowers that come back year after year. And you'll attract important pollinators such as bees and butterflies that will keep your whole garden healthy. To achieve this wild look, you could have a go at 'chaos gardening' – simply gather up any leftover seeds you have lying around, whether they are vegetables, grasses, herbs or flowers, mix them all up and then scatter them on to your soil. Or for more guaranteed (and coordinated) success, use a dedicated wildflower mix. 7 Make an instant impact with lightingWhen the sun goes down, the right lighting won't just make your garden safer – it will transform its mood. It's a good idea to layer your lighting: practical wall lights will aid food and cocktail prep, while soft pendant lights create a cosy atmosphere over a dining table or around a corner sofa. LED candles, lanterns and festoon lights can be used to light a pathway back to the house, and are decorative, to boot. Just always make sure your lights are waterproof (IP65 if they are exposed to the elements) – LED bulbs often fit the bill and are long-lasting, making them a more sustainable choice. 8 Discover drought- and flood-resistant plant speciesIf you're struggling to keep plants alive, either because they are waterlogged by regular rain or are being exposed to long bouts of sunshine, investing in some specialist plants could save you a lot of hassle. This has been a key theme at Chelsea and other big RHS shows in recent years, as extreme weather events become more common. Drought tolerant species include lavender, cordyline, agapanthus and the common fig tree, while those that thrive in wet conditions include ferns, ranunculaceae, willow and quince trees. Find out more about the Honda Miimo range *Specifications vary across the Miimo range. Visit Honda's website for full details
