Luke Little was sent by colliding by world Darts masters on Sunday afternoon as he suffered a stunning 4-2 loss to Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals.
The 18-year-old world champion was a great favorite against the world No. 7 and on average an impressive match in the match, but was denied by several classes that ended while Clayton hit nine out of 15 arrows in one pair.
The loss means that Littler can now turn his focus on protecting his Darts Premier League title, which begins on Thursday evening in Belfast, Live in Sky Sports.
Clayton amazed Littler with an excellent 138 finish to get the first set, but the 18-year-old won the next two legs to level the match immediately.
Ferret was silent Milton Keynes’s crowd winning the third set against the shot and then hit D2 to look for a 3-1 lead after Little had lost an arrow located in Bullseye.
Littler held his nerve to win the fifth set with an 81 crate and then seemed to fight control when he broke Clayton with a dense 11 to get the first match of the sixth set.
But Clayton opened the next foot with five perfect arrows before D16 came to return immediately and he sealed a famous victory on top in what he tried to be the last foot of the match.
“This phase likes me,” said the 2021 Clayton champion in ITV afterwards.
“Luke didn’t clearly play his game A, but it’s a battle and I grabbed the line. I could smile a big smile.
“He’s a cracking guy, a great arrow player and he has a big future in front of him. He has given me a big lesson the last two games I have played against him.
“All jokes aside. It was my day.”
Clayton will face Dimitri van den Bergh In the semifinals after Belgium easily defeated an outer day Nathan Asinall 4-1.
ASP showed some resistance by winning the second set, but could not match Van Den Bergh for much of the match and eventually lost an extraordinary final foot.
Askinal opened with seven perfect arrows before losing T19 in his pursuit of a dense nine, but ultimately lost his leg – and essentially the match – when he lost three arrows in pairs.
Van Den Bergh punished him by hitting on top and then D10 to seal the 11-to-foot victory.
Bunting’s title protection ends after last foot drama
Stephen Bunting holds his head after losing to Danny Noppert (Pic: PDC)
Earlier, Stephen Bunting’s Protecting his masters title dramatically ended after he lost the two arrows of the match on a shootout in the last leg to lose 4-3 Danny nipped.
The Dutchman had lost his match to give a chance to see 41, but loses in D16 and D8 allowed Noppert to return and hit D8 for an exciting victory.
After Bunting claimed a narrow opening set, Noppert withdrew six to move 3-1 ahead of the Englishman again at 3-3 and then 1-1 in the seventh decisive set.
After all, bunting was done to pay to lose 19 out of 26 arrows in one pair – including 11 in a phase – and he lost the chance to play his friend Luke Humphries in the last four years.
Humphries had looked impressive in the opening match of the afternoon, on average 104 in a 4-1 win over Damon Heta.
The high seed lost two arrows for the second set, but this was the only important flaw as it won every other group to reach the last Sunday evening session.
Look at the Premier League 2025 arrows exclusively live in Sky Sports every Thursday from February 6 to May 29.
