"He's a potential world champion. He's that good" - Mardle & Webster incredibly impressed by Mike de Decker despite Littler loss at Grand Slam

Few players have made as greater strides in 2024 than Mike de Decker. Now a major champion following the recent World Grand Prix, the Belgian sadly won't be adding to that tally in Wolverhampton this week, but despite his Grand Slam of Darts exit in the last 16, Sky Sports punditry duo Wayne Mardle and Mark Webster have been left incredibly impressed.

De Decker looked set to reach the quarter-finals when he was leading Premier League Darts champion Luke Littler. As the teenage sensation started to comeback into things though, the crowd began to get on De Decker's back and after missing a dart at the bull for a 10-8 victory, De Decker was eventually defeated 10-9 by Littler in a thriller.

"Mike didn't buckle. The one dart at a bullseye, anyone can miss that. But once Luke found his rhythm and got closer and closer, it wasn't as if Mike thought this is all too much," Mardle assesses for Sky Sports. "Luke just did his job so well, and to have that composure, that belief at that age as well, it's not the norm. It's just not. To produce what he did in that last leg, the three-figure shots that he had, three of them on the bounce, and then the 86 finish, a 12-darter at nine-all with the darts, Mike De Decker would have had to have gone out in nine. That's how good it was."

As mentioned though, although De Decker was ultimately defeated, he leaves Wolverhampton with plenty of plaudits. "Mike De Decker, even though he lost and he's a reigning champ, he's come out of this tournament with even more credit," Mardle insists. "He's a potential world champion. He's that good."

"It was a brilliant tie. De Decker got out in front and he missed some doubles at crucial times. But you credit the character of Luke Littler to come back at him. And when he got that opportunity to throw for the match, he really grabbed it," adds former Lakeside champion Webster. "A bit of despair for De Decker. He did have the one dart at a double - it was only a bullseye, but he can hold his head high. But for Luke Littler, it was a fantastic performance."