"That's exactly what Littler wants": Jermaine Wattimena perfect opponent for World Champion and here's why

On the latest episode of World Matchplay Darts Draait Door, Vincent van der Voort gave an in-depth preview of the upcoming second-round clash between Jermaine Wattimena and Luke Littler at the 2025 World Matchplay.

The Dutchman acknowledged the daunting task facing his compatriot as he prepares to take on the reigning World Champion.

“In fact, Wattimena is the ideal opponent for Littler,” said Van der Voort. “He throws at one pace. He plays fast. That’s exactly what Littler wants. He’s not going to try anything clever—no slowing down, no tricks. He just plays his own game, and that suits Littler perfectly. It’s been proven a couple of times already.”

Van der Voort pointed to previous meetings between the two as evidence of Littler's dominance. At the Grand Slam of Darts, after going 0–1 down, Littler reeled off fifteen straight legs to win emphatically 16–2. A similar story played out at the UK Open, where Wattimena had no answer to Littler’s relentless scoring power in a 10–4 defeat.

For Wattimena to stand a chance, Van der Voort believes he must focus solely on his own performance.

“If Jermaine wants to have a chance, he’ll need to be very strong on his own throw and not get distracted by what Littler is doing,” he explained. “If you start noticing how many treble 20s he's hitting, it’s only going to make things worse for yourself. Just stay in your own rhythm.”

Vincent van der Voort, a seasoned pro with years of experience on the oche, knows just how tough it is to keep your composure against an opponent like Luke Littler. But he believes Jermaine Wattimena must have a clear and focused plan.

“Of course, that’s easier said than done,” Van der Voort admitted. “But the plan has to be: whether you win or lose the bull, aim to go into the first break at 3–2. Hold your throw every time. If he wants to break you, make sure he has to do it in 12 darts.”

Littler’s ability to find brilliance from the very start was on full display in the first round against Ryan Searle, where “The Nuke” averaged an astonishing 125 over the opening legs and ultimately cruised to a 10–2 victory.

“If he starts with that kind of average, you’ve got to assume it won’t last the whole match,” Van der Voort continued. “Jermaine has to make sure he’s on a double after 12 darts. If Littler then throws a 12-darter, you just have to accept it. But you must force him to produce something special—don’t let him break you in 18 darts. Make him work for it.”

Wattimena has shown he can rise to the occasion, as he did at last year’s European Championship with a strong display against Luke Humphries. But Van der Voort sees a clear distinction between that challenge and facing Littler.

“Humphries is a different opponent to Littler,” he explained. “Some players create a certain pressure before the match even starts. I think against Humphries, Jermaine feels like he’ll always get a chance somewhere. With Littler, it’s different. He’s beaten him a few times already.”

That history, Van der Voort believes, can weigh heavily on the mind. “Then it’s easy to start thinking, ‘Here we go again, he’s having one of those days.’ That’s very human. That makes sense. But Jermaine has to try to win his legs in 15 darts. And if he goes 4–1 down, he has to realise it’s because he wasn’t good enough at the start—not because there’s nothing he can do.”

“It’s all about form on the day,” he concluded. “It’s easy for me to say: just throw 15-dart legs and make it hard for your opponent. But doing it is a whole different matter. Still, that’s the only way to stay with Littler for as long as possible.”