“I just laugh to myself when he gives it some – like, come on”: Luke Littler roars back against Gerwyn Price to win World Grand Prix classic

Luke Littler described himself as “just laughing” at Gerwyn Price’s on-stage antics after producing one of the great World Grand Prix comebacks, overturning a two-set deficit to defeat the Welshman 3–2 in a chaotic quarter-final that will live long in the memory.

The 18-year-old world champion looked dead and buried when Price roared into a 2–0 lead, mixing heavy scoring with relentless emotion to leave the Leicester crowd split between awe and agitation. Yet in true Littler fashion, the teenager refused to fold — surviving match darts, trading roars, and eventually pinning an outrageous 152 checkout to seal the decider in a breathless finale.

“It was just a mental game,” Littler reflected afterwards in his post-match press conference. “Obviously it’s good for the fans, but it’s not good for me. The 152 was just sweet.”

The match had all the hallmarks of a Price demolition job in the early stages. Littler couldn’t get going, wiring countless darts at doubles, while the 2021 world champion prowled the stage, barking in celebration after every hold.

“There was a lot of shouting from him — a bit more than normal,” Littler said. “When he hits his double and gives it some, I just laugh to myself. I’m like, you’ve just held your throw — come on. But that’s what he does.”

Price’s aggression, though, wasn’t enough to keep the teenager quiet forever. A 14-darter to open set three sparked life into Littler’s game, and by the time he nailed a 154 checkout to stay alive in the fourth, the entire tone of the night had shifted. The crowd, initially rallying behind Price, were now willing the match to go the distance.

“Once I started to get back into it, it definitely slowed me down a bit, but I just had to keep my head,” Littler explained. “Then I got back into it and won.”

The deciding leg of the match summed up everything that makes the double-start format such a beautiful mess. Price, with the advantage of throw, took eight darts to get in. Littler took six. Both looked paralysed by the enormity of the moment, until out of nowhere, the teenager conjured a 152 checkout that detonated around the arena like a firework.

“I wasn’t happy with the first two sets — nothing was going my way,” Littler admitted. “At 2–0 down, I was saying to myself, it’s got to go, but I also just said, accept the 3–0 defeat. As soon as I got one back, I knew if I could hold and then go against the darts, just see what happens.”

The turnaround owed as much to stubborn belief as brilliance. Even when Price threw a roof-raising 156 to force the final leg, Littler’s poker face held firm. “I went two up in that last set, told myself I was guaranteed to hold throw — but then couldn’t,” he said. “So in that last leg I just had to go for it.”

Few players in the game have shown Littler’s knack for surviving the brink. Just months removed from his World Matchplay heroics, where he came from 5–0 down three times to lift the title, the teenager once again proved why opponents can never relax.

“When we went off stage after the second set, I sat down and thought, it’s over,” he revealed. “Slammed my bottle on the table, thought it was done. Then I got back on stage and said, you’ve just got to go for it. The Matchplay definitely helped — I know I’ve got the capability to come back, and that’s what I’ve done again.”

Even Littler admitted he felt lucky to still be standing. “I should probably be in the hotel or at home chilling out — but I’m not. I’m here. I’ll relax tomorrow and just go again.”

For all the needle on stage, there was mutual respect between the pair at the end. Littler’s smile said as much. “When I won and saw the replay, I saw his face — he couldn’t believe it,” Littler said. “We were both giving it a little bit in that last set, but I’m just happy to get the last laugh.”

Asked about Price’s claim that players on tour are “scared” to face him, Littler dismissed the notion with his usual composure. “I wouldn’t say anyone’s scared of me,” he replied. “Nine times out of ten my opponent’s going to throw a 100 average. I’m sure Gezzy would’ve thought he’d cruise through, but I managed to get back into it and get the win.”

Next up is Jonny Clayton, who Littler has beaten in four of their last five meetings. After another draining scrap, the defending world champion insists the hard part is over. “I shouldn’t be here, but I am,” he said with a grin. “Now I can just relax. If I win, I win. If I lose, I lose. It’s set play, double start — averages don’t really matter. It’s just about getting off and scoring. Anything can happen.”

On this evidence, anything certainly can.