World number one Luke Littler defeated Nathan Aspinall 11-8 to reach the World Matchplay quarter-finals, hitting a nine-darter during the match.
Key facts
- •Luke Littler hit a nine-darter in the opening leg of his match against Nathan Aspinall.
- •Littler recorded a 113.68 average, the second-highest in World Matchplay history.
- •The match featured a total of 14 scores of 180 from Littler.
- •Littler will face Josh Rock in the quarter-finals.
- •Michael van Gerwen was knocked out of the tournament by Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Luke Littler secured his spot in the World Matchplay quarter-finals at Winter Gardens in Blackpool with an 11-8 victory over Nathan Aspinall. The 17-year-old world number one thrilled the crowd by throwing a perfect nine-dart leg early in the contest.
By the numbers
Record-breaking performance
Littler finished the match with an average of 113.68, marking the second-highest average in the history of the tournament. His performance included 14 scores of 180. Despite Aspinall leveling the score at 7-7, Littler pulled away to win the final legs, eventually closing out the match with a 52 checkout.
Tournament results
In other matches, Josh Rock advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Stephen Bunting 11-6, setting up a meeting with Littler. Michael van Gerwen was eliminated following a 14-12 loss to Dirk van Duijvenbode, while Gary Anderson progressed by beating Jonny Clayton 11-7.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Sport.
