In the electrifying atmosphere of Butlin’s Minehead Resort, defending UK Open champion Luke Littler dodged a bullet on Saturday afternoon, clawing his way to a gritty 10-8 victory over Kevin Doets in the last 16. The teenage sensation, now the world number one at just 19, entered the fray as the heavy favorite but delivered one of his most uncharacteristically shaky performances, averaging a modest 93.68 compared to Doets’ sharper 97.22. It was a match that had the crowd on the edge of their seats, with the Dutchman nearly pulling off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
Littler, fresh off a comfortable 10-3 dismantling of Damon Heta in the previous round—where he notched four ton-plus checkouts including three massive 170s and a stunning 132 on double bull after being broken in a sluggish opening leg—looked far from invincible against Doets. The underdog stormed out of the gates, snatching early breaks and pushing perilously close to a 3-0 lead, leaving Littler scrambling. Doets’ precision was ruthless, his darts finding the treble bed with alarming regularity as he capitalized on Littler’s wayward efforts.
But true champions find a way, and Littler steadied the ship with a brilliant 12-darter on double 16 to claw back to 2-2. He seized momentum with another break, nailing double one after Doets squandered chances, edging ahead at 3-2. The pair traded blows in a tense midfield battle—Doets hit back via double eight, only for Littler to respond with a clinical 21-darter and a 56 checkout to surge to 6-4. The drama peaked late: Doets unleashed a 12-darter to reel it in, breaking Littler to make it 9-8 and throwing for the match at 91 while Littler sat on 146. Yet, in a moment of redemption, Doets faltered, allowing Littler to pin double tops for the 60 finish and seal the win.
Post-match, Littler was candid with ITV, admitting the struggle was as much mental as technical. “It’s tough getting up,” he confessed with a wry smile, revealing that the early afternoon start had sapped his energy. “I got the job done, but Kevin played far better than me. Those are the games you like to come through. I think evenings are just far better for myself. I had to give a little bit to get myself up for it. I got past Kevin there somehow.” The bizarre admission—that simply rising early for the daytime session nearly derailed his title defense—drew chuckles from the Minehead faithful, underscoring the human side of the prodigy who’s rewritten darts history.
Littler’s path to redemption mirrors his meteoric rise. Since bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old World Championship runner-up, he’s amassed a trophy cabinet bursting with majors, including last year’s UK Open triumph where he crushed James Wade 11-2 in the final. Despite a stuttering start to the 2026 Premier League—languishing in seventh before igniting with a Cardiff conquest over Jonny Clayton— he’s chasing history here: becoming only the third player to win back-to-back UK Opens, joining the elite company of Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen.
The afternoon session was a showcase of survival and supremacy elsewhere too. World number two Luke Humphries delivered a masterclass, thrashing Dave Chisnall in a lopsided affair, racing to 7-1 before closing it 10-4 with ruthless breaks on 11-darters and double 20. Gerwyn Price powered past Wessel Nijman 10-5, blistering a 101.8 average and seven 180s. Michael van Gerwen overcame early jitters against Kai Gotthardt, averaging 95 with a late surge to 10-? victory. Gary Anderson edged Martin Schindler 10-7 after a 10-leg hold-fest, exploding with a 105.8 average, six 180s, and a 121 checkout.
As the evening quarter-finals loom—with Littler drawn against the winner of another thriller—the Nuke’s fire is reignited. “I want to go and chase these records and be another player to go back-to-back,” he declared defiantly. “I’d like to play anyone. Anyone in the evening session I’ll be ok.” Minehead braces for more chaos; Littler’s quest for glory is far from over, proving once again why he’s darts’ unstoppable force—even on his off days.
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