Littler powers past Aspinall to reach European Championship quarter-finals
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.
Key points
- Luke Littler beat Nathan Aspinall 10-5 in the second round of the European Championship Darts in Dortmund on Saturday evening.
- Littler's match average of 114.47 is the second-best in the competition's history, behind only Phil Taylor's 118.14.
- Littler will face Krzysztof Ratajski in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Luke Littler beat Nathan Aspinall 10-5 in the second round of the European Championship Darts in Dortmund on Saturday evening, keeping him on course for the one major title he has never won. Littler, the world No 1, recorded a match average of 114.47, the second-best in the competition's history behind only Phil Taylor's 118.14.
How the match unfolded
Littler won the first four legs in 12 darts or fewer. Aspinall hit ten 180s, three more than his opponent, and briefly cut the deficit to 5-4, but Littler controlled the second half of the match. After a brief interruption to deal with a fan in the crowd, he closed out the win on D10.
I felt really good from the off
— Luke Littler
What Littler said
Littler told ITV he felt good from the start and was disappointed to go into the first break at 4-1 rather than 5-0. He said Aspinall is "always going to come back at you" and that he could not afford to drop off.
Littler said he had a long time off and recent results had not gone his way, adding that he had seen social media memes saying "Luke's finished" and had used the time to practice. He said he hopes to say he has not gone anywhere if he lifts the trophy.
Other second round results
Krzysztof Ratajski came from 8-6 down to beat Kevin Doets 10-8. Martin Schindler beat Jermaine Wattimena 10-4 to reach the last eight on home turf for the first time, and Jonny Clayton beat Josh Rock 10-8 with a 121 checkout on the bullseye.
In the afternoon session, Luke Woodhouse ended Gian van Veen's reign as European champion with a 10-6 win. Ross Smith, Gerwyn Price and Stephen Bunting also advanced. Price would provisionally rank above Luke Humphries, who withdrew through illness, if he wins the title.
