Luke Littler’s incredible nine-darter at the Bahrain Masters on Friday left his girlfriend Eloise as delighted as the fans in attendance. The teenage sensation defeated Michael van Gerwen 8-5 in the final to win the Middle East tournament and underpin his incredible run to the final at Ally Pally.
But it was his performance in the quarterfinals that was the highlight of the night. After defeating Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung on Thursday, he sent the crowd into a frenzy with a perfect leg shot against Nathan Aspinall.
More drama ensued in the semi-final against former world No. 1 Gerwyn Price as he averaged over 100 and took a maximum checkout of 170 along the way to win 7-3. The final looked set to be enchanting at 5-5 when the 16-year-old upped the ante to win his third leg in a row.
His partner Eloise Milburn was also delighted. Although she didn’t travel with Littler to witness his accomplishments firsthand, she quickly posted on Instagram to highlight her pride.
After Littler disposed of “MVG,” she wrote on Instagram: “You never cease to amaze me!” And oh, the nine darters. I wanted to see it in person! I’m very proud. ”
The win means Littler will earn £220,000 in 2024, further cementing him as the world’s best player. And it won’t be long before the star is back in action, as he will compete in the Dutch Masters on January 26th and 27th.
He has also secured a place in this season’s big-money Premier League, which begins on February 1 in Cardiff. His new celebrity status also earned him an invitation to last Sunday’s Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham, as well as against the Red Devils. He congratulated supporters on social media on Friday.
The club’s official account posted a photo of The Nuke at Old Trafford and wrote: “Congratulations to United fan @LukeTheNuke180 on winning his first senior @OfficialPDC title on debut.”
Littler’s performance in Bahrain earned him 12 world ranking points. Currently in 30th place, he is trying to surpass Raymond van Barneveld, the man in front of him.