The Nuke secures the second highest three-dart average in the history of the tournament as he powers into quarter-finals; By Stephen Mills and Raz Mirza Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Luke Littler remains on course to win the one major title he’s never won as he beat Nathan Aspinall 10-5 in the second round of the European Championship Darts on Saturday evening. Littler produced the second-best average in the competition’s history – his 114.47 has only ever been bettered by Phil Taylor’s 118.14 – as he secured an impressive victory in Dortmund. Aspinall produced ten 180s in the match – three more than his opponent – but it wasn’t enough to survive the onslaught from the world No 1, who won the first four legs of the match in 12 darts or fewer. Aspinall briefly rallied to reduce the score to 5-4, but Littler controlled the second half of the game and, despite one brief interruption to deal with a vocal fan in the crowd, he ultimately closed out the match on D10.
“I felt really good from the off,” Littler told ITV. “I knew the start was good. I was gutted at giving him a leg and going into the first break at 4-1 when I wanted 5-0. “Nathan is always there and is always going to come back at you.
I couldn’t afford to drop off. I felt confident and had to get the job done.” Littler arrived at this tournament following shock defeats at the World Series of Darts and the World Grand Prix which ended his dreams of a perfect season in the majors. However, he remains on track to win the European Championship for the first time after exiting in the last 16 of his debut campaign last year. “I’m playing well.
I’m feeling really good. There was only one issue in there, but other than that the crowd have been really good,” he added. “I’ve had a long time off and past results haven’t gone my way. I’ve seen on social media some memes that ‘Luke’s finished’ and this and that.
“I’ve had long enough to look at them, get on the practice board and forget about it all. Hopefully if I do lift the trophy I can say I’ve not gone anywhere. “I’ve definitely not gone anywhere here with that performance.” Got the Sky Sports app? Littler will face Krzysztof Ratajski in the quarter-finals after the Pole fought from behind to beat Kevin Doets 10-8.
Ratajski lost the first four legs of the match and trailed 8-6 in the closing stages before clinching four legs in a row to seal a victory over the man who stunned Michael van Gerwen in round one. Home favourite Martin Schindler kept alive his hopes of winning the title in Dortmund as he powered to a 10-4 win over Jermaine Wattimena. The German averaged just 90, but relied on finishing stats of more than 52 per cent – including a brilliant 121 in the ninth leg – and the support of a raucous crowd to reach the last eight on home turf for the first time. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player He will face Jonny Clayton on Sunday after the Welshman beat Josh Rock 10-8 in the final match of the day.
Clayton wasted a series of match darts in the closing stages, but clinched the win in brilliant fashion with a 121 checkout on the bullseye. In the afternoon session, Luke Woodhouse ended Gian van Veen’s reign as European champion, as he coasted into the quarter-finals with a 10-6 victory. Woody will face top seed Ross Smith on Sunday in a bid to reach the semi-final after the 2022 European champion held off a Damon Heta fightback. A scintillating start saw Smith average in excess of 112 to storm into a 5-0 lead before Heta rallied, only to succumb to a 10-7 loss.
Smith finished with six 180s and an average of 96.19. Gerwyn Price averaged 95.75 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in three years with a dominant 10-4 victory over Cameron Menzies, which included three ton-plus finishes. It was tight after seven legs which all went with throw, but ‘The Iceman’ shifted through the gears to pull clear, winning seven of the last eight legs. Stephen Bunting produced a finishing clinic (56 per cent) to defeat Kim Huybrechts and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2014. ‘The Bullet’ hit 10/18 on the doubles and four ton-plus checkouts to set up a blockbuster showdown with Price on Sunday.
If Price wins the title this weekend, he will provisionally be ranked higher than Luke Humphries, who withdrew from this event through illness. That would open up the possibility of a Luke vs Luke semi-final at the World Darts Championship. Afternoon Session (12pm)Quarter-FinalsRoss Smith v Luke WoodhouseGerwyn Price v Stephen BuntingMartin Schindler v Jonny ClaytonKrzysztof Ratajski v Luke Littler Sky Sports remains the home of darts with the Grand Slam of Darts (November 14-22) and World Darts Championship (December 11-January 3) all live. Stream darts and more through NOW with no contract.
