Luke Littler Condemns 'Idiot' Heckler During World Masters Victory
Teenage darts prodigy Luke Littler has voiced his frustration after a troublesome spectator attempted to disrupt his commanding performance at the Winmau World Masters in Milton Keynes. The 17-year-old world champion surged into the quarter-finals with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Ross Smith, but the match was marred by constant interference from a heckler positioned near the stage.
Composure Under Pressure
Despite the persistent distractions, Littler maintained remarkable composure throughout the encounter. The young star revealed that the disruption was so blatant that even his opponent, Ross Smith, noticed it. "A few things in the crowd again at the very front," Littler explained. "And even Ross said when we went off at 3-1, he's an idiot, that guy, whoever it was. I didn't know who it was, but it was just throughout the game."
Littler appeared to glance towards the troublemaker after clinching the opening set, but he adhered to his own advice of keeping his head down and not reacting. "Just don't react and get the job done," he stated, referencing his previous experiences at major tournaments.
Security Intervention and Practical Limitations
Security personnel approached Littler after the second set to enquire about the incident, but the teenager chose to downplay the situation. "After the second set, one of the security came over to me and said: What did he say? And I just said: Oh nothing. It doesn't really matter. I've won the set, it doesn't really matter," he reported.
The darts sensation acknowledged the practical limitations of security intervention in such scenarios. "I think, obviously, it could make it worse at times," Littler noted, drawing parallels with a previous incident during the Premier League. "Obviously, we've seen in the Premier League last year, me and Luke [Humphries], when [ref] Kirk [Bevins] said stop whistling and everyone started whistling."
Record-Breaking Performance Undeterred
The disturbance clearly failed to throw Littler off his game, as he delivered a performance that came close to smashing average records. His victory sets up an exciting quarter-final clash against Josh Rock. "I think I always want to break records," Littler admitted. "Obviously, if you put a big number in like I have just there, then that's always a positive moving into the next round. We can only build on it, I can go again and now I'm thinking of trying to break the record tomorrow."
Reflecting on his performance, Littler added: "I think I was 117 and then dropped down 10 points. But yeah, you've just got to think of it then. You've got the win, so that's all that matters. It got a bit scrappy at the end there. Ross even said to me, the first three sets, I was playing a robot. Obviously, then he deserved his set and then just to close it out."
The incident highlights the challenges professional athletes face from crowd interference, even as Littler's focus and skill propelled him to another impressive tournament victory.
