World number one Luke Littler is preparing for a unique tactical challenge as he continues his title defence at the PDC World Darts Championship. The teenage sensation cruised into the third round with a dominant 3-0 victory over David Davies on Sunday, 22 December 2025, but now faces a significant hurdle in the form of Austria's Mensur Suljovic.
The Suljovic Slow Play Conundrum
Littler's path to the semi-finals opened up unexpectedly as two major rivals, Gerwyn Price and Joe Cullen, were eliminated. Instead, he will meet Suljovic, who defeated Cullen 3-1 in a tense second-round match. The game was marred by controversy, with Cullen accusing Suljovic of cheating due to his exceptionally slow pace of play, a tactic for which the Austrian is infamous.
Suljovic is known for playing at a snail's pace and is expected to deploy his methodical style even more deliberately in a bid to disrupt the rhythm of the faster-throwing Littler. The defending champion, however, is aware of the challenge and insists he will be ready.
Littler's Response to the 'Dark Arts'
Speaking after his win, Littler addressed the looming showdown directly. "It's Mensur in my way now. As a player, you've just got to face what's in front of you," he stated. "You've got to face the challenges of what the player's going to do."
The 18-year-old admitted his preference for quicker opponents but dismissed Cullen's claims of cheating. "There was a lot of talk about Mensur throwing slow. I've just got to be ready for it and see what happens," Littler said. "It's not cheating. It's just for Mensur, obviously he flicks his flight and obviously he's doing it until he feels settled."
He elaborated on the physical difficulty of facing a slow player: "For myself and a lot of other players, we have fast throws. You don't want to be stood there for as long. Because you're getting cold and you just want to get on with it."
Pre-Match Mind Games and Title Hopes
In a curious twist, Littler revealed that Suljovic had sent him a direct message on Instagram after the draw was made in November, predicting their third-round meeting. "He said something like, 'kind regards, good luck, see you in round three' or something," Littler explained.
With his main rivals falling, Littler is now a strong favourite to become the first man since Gary Anderson in 2016 to successfully defend the World Championship title at Alexandra Palace. His immediate focus, however, is solely on navigating the psychological and tactical test posed by Suljovic's deliberate style.
"He's not going to change for me," Littler conceded. "He's just going to do his job and he wants to win. I want to win." The stage is set for a fascinating clash of tempos in one of the championship's most intriguing match-ups.
