In the electrifying atmosphere of Leicester’s Mattioli Arena, where the sharp crack of darts meeting board echoes like thunder, 18-year-old sensation Luke Littler etched another chapter in his meteoric rise through the world of professional darts. On a crisp October evening, the teenager, affectionately known as “The Nuke” for his explosive scoring power, dismantled reigning World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker in a one-sided 3-0 second-round masterclass. The victory, sealed with a breathtaking 170 checkout that left the crowd roaring, propels Littler into the quarter-finals and keeps his dream of claiming a maiden title in this unforgiving tournament firmly alive.
The World Grand Prix, with its unique double-in, double-out format, has long been dubbed the sport’s most “brutal” test—a grueling gauntlet where every leg demands precision from the very first dart. Miss a double to start, and you’re chasing shadows; falter on the finish, and the board punishes without mercy. De Decker, the Belgian powerhouse nicknamed “The Big Fish,” entered the fray as the man to beat, fresh off a triumphant 2024 crown that saw him outduel world number one Luke Humphries in the final. At 32, he carried the weight of history, aiming to join legends Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen as the only players to defend this elusive double-start trophy. Yet, against Littler, the defending champ’s rod seemed to snag on every obstacle.
Littler, the current PDC world champion whose fairy-tale journey began with a runner-up finish at the 2023/24 Worlds as a mere 16-year-old, arrived brimming with confidence. Just two days prior, he had shattered records in his first-round demolition of Gian van Veen, clinching a blistering 3-0 win in a mere 11 minutes while averaging nearly 106—an unprecedented pace that set tongues wagging. Unbroken in any of his opening legs across the tournament, Littler has thrown first in 10 legs without conceding a single dart at double to his opponents, boasting a flawless 100% success rate. It’s this clinical edge that has transformed him from prodigy to predator, and on Thursday night, it was on full display.
The first set unfolded like a predator stalking prey. De Decker, uncharacteristically adrift, squandered 19 darts at double-in, his throws veering wide as if repelled by an invisible force. Littler pounced with ruthless efficiency, breaking his rival in a tidy 15-dart leg to seize the initiative. The crowd, a sea of waving flags and chanting fans under the arena’s glaring lights, sensed the shift early. By the set’s end, Littler had pocketed it 3-1, his average hovering at a solid 98.95—a testament to his composure under the double-start spotlight.
Momentum, that fickle darting devil, only swung further in the second set. De Decker’s woes deepened; his arrows found the treble bed with promise but betrayed him on the outer ring, where doubles are the gatekeepers of glory. Littler capitalized with a slick 95 checkout, extending his lead to 2-0 overall in a 3-1 set win. The Belgian’s frustration was palpable—41 missed doubles across just 11 legs, a statistic that underscored a night of what-ifs. Whispers rippled through the stands: was this the same player who had reeled in Humphries under pressure last year?
The third set became Littler’s symphony of destruction. He opened with a commanding leg win, then broke De Decker once more, his darts whispering into the doubles like guided missiles. De Decker clawed back a hold after Littler spurned early chances, but it was a fleeting gasp. As the score teetered at 2-1, Littler stepped to the oche for what would become the match’s defining moment. Treble 20, treble 20, treble 20—170 in three darts, followed by a bullseye double 25. The arena erupted, a cacophony of cheers drowning out the stunned silence from De Decker’s corner. Game, set, match: 3-0 to the teenager, in sets of 3-1, 3-1, and 3-0. Littler’s conversions—66, 91, 95, and that immortal 170—were poetry in flight.
Emerging from the haze of victory, Littler was his usual blend of humility and fire. “Mike definitely wasn’t at his best tonight, so I had to jump on it early on,” he reflected, a grin betraying his youth. “My starting doubles were very good once again, and knocking out any reigning champion is a big achievement. It wasn’t that good of a game. Mike definitely didn’t turn up at his best, but I had to jump on it and take the lead early. This tournament is definitely brutal—we’ve seen some big shocks this year, but I just had to do the job.” He paused, eyes gleaming with that signature hunger. “The trophy is in sight… just a few games away. I am hitting the double 20 and as a player you can feel that nine-darter coming.” No words from De Decker pierced the post-match air, but his slumped shoulders spoke volumes of a champion grounded by an unstoppable force.
This triumph wasn’t isolated; the night’s undercard crackled with drama, underscoring the tournament’s high stakes. Dirk van Duijvenbode, the 2020 runner-up, swept aside 2017 king Daryl Gurney 3-0, storming through the first eight legs before sealing it with a monstrous 158 checkout in a 12-dart flourish. “Usually when I play Daryl, he always finds ways to beat me,” van Duijvenbode admitted. “Today he had three or four chances to hit ton-plus finishes, but he was not doing it, so I did! I got a bit nervous at the end because I could see him coming back, but to produce that 12-darter to win it made me very happy.” Meanwhile, 2021 champion Jonny Clayton grinded out a 3-1 verdict over Luke Woodhouse, pinning nine of 18 doubles despite mutual struggles. “We both struggled at times,” Clayton said. “Luke gave me chances, and when that happens, you have to take them. Obviously I’m happy to win, but I need to get back on that practice board ready for tomorrow, and I will need a better performance than that.”
And then there’s Gerwyn Price, the 2020 titlist whose 3-0 evisceration of Josh Rock—complete with four 180s and eight straight legs—sets up a blockbuster quarter-final against Littler. Price, ever the warrior, averaged over 100 in his final two sets, turning a tentative start into a rout. “I just looked at the averages and I thought I played better than that,” he mused. “I’m playing well. I probably need to up my scoring game because Luke is scoring really well, but if I put him under pressure, then it will be a good game. Luke is playing fantastic darts—I cannot take that away from him—but I’m here to win, and I’m not scared of anybody!” Their clash on Friday promises fireworks: Littler’s unyielding dominance versus Price’s gritty resurgence, a duel that could redefine the tournament’s narrative.
As the quarter-finals loom—featuring Danny Noppert against Gary Anderson, van Duijvenbode versus Clayton, and world number one Humphries facing Cameron Menzies—the Mattioli Arena pulses with anticipation. Littler, unbeaten in sets and legs from the front, stands as the beacon of a new era. In a sport built on wire-to-wire tension, where one errant dart can topple empires, the teenager’s poise feels almost otherworldly. De Decker’s reign ends abruptly, but Littler’s odyssey surges forward. For fans, it’s not just darts—it’s destiny unfolding, one double at a time. With the BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix crown glittering in the distance, all eyes turn to whether “The Nuke” can detonate the field and etch his name into immortality.
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