"I can relax a bit now I’ve won my first ranking title" - Luke Littler meets Rob Cross at Players Championship Finals

Luke Littler will hunt for his third major title of the year this weekend. The 17-year-old Englishman is already coming to Minehead brimming with confidence after winning the Grand Slam of Darts last Sunday after a 16-3 victory in the final against Martin Lukeman. Littler will not rest on his laurels, however, and dreams of even more success this year. Starting with the Players Championship Finals.

Littler, for whom it is his debut at the Players Championship Finals, does face a tough assignment in the first round with a duel against his countryman Rob Cross, still a losing finalist at the 2022 Players Championship Finals.

Earlier this year, Littler went down against Cross in the opening round of the World Grand Prix. Littler also went down early at the European Championship, but his final victory at the Grand Slam of Darts has once again quelled any doubts about his performance in majors.

“The win at the Grand Slam has given me a lot of confidence,” declared Littler, who has climbed to world number five following his Grand Slam heroics.

“I can relax a bit now I’ve won my first ranking title (Littler already won the Premier League Darts earlier this year, but that's a major without ranking points). I know my game is there, and I know I can come back if I am trailing in matches.

Littler has had a particularly successful debut at the PDC anyway, but dreams of more success. “I’ve let my darts do most of the talking this year, but there’s still another two titles up for grabs, so hopefully it can get even better.”

The winner of the match between Littler and Cross awaits a new English tie in the second round against the winner of the duel between Ritchie Edhouse and Luke Woodhouse.