Despite not winning the European tournament, Luke Littler had a weekend to remember at the Czech Darts Opens.
The Nuke produced averages of 110, 116, 110, and 106 as he defeated Nathan Aspinall, Damon Heta, and Michael van Gerwen, before succumbing to eventual champion Luke Humphries in the semi-finals.
Luke Littler’s performance against van Gerwen, in particular, was astonishing. He beat the Dutchman 6-1 despite Mighty Mike averaging 116.51—the highest-ever losing average in European history.
Damon Heta and Michael van Gerwen react to Luke Littler’s performance
Two men who fell to Littler’s record-breaking heights have commented on their loss to the 17-year-old.
World No. 3 van Gerwen posted a tongue-in-cheek picture with The Nuke, stating: “This is not gonna happen again”.
Littler’s third-round opponent in Prague, Heta, took to social media during The Nuke’s dominant display against van Gerwen.
The Heat jokingly wrote: “At least I won 3 legs…” after losing to Littler 6-3 in his third-round match in Prague.
Littler lost 7-4 to Humphries in the semi-final, after which Cool Hand went on to thrash Kim Huybrechts 8-1 in the final.
Littler has nothing to show for his outrageous form
Despite stealing all the headlines for his performances in Prague, it was Humphries who took the crown in Prague.
Littler hit the highest-ever average on the Euro Tour in his match against Aspinall in the second round, but Cool Hand moved on steadily through the tournament without much fuss.
It’s a poignant parallel of how both men’s careers are seen in the wider media, which has recently been called out by both Gary Anderson and James Wade.
Littler steals the headlines, while Humphries claims most of the crowns.
The World No. 1 claimed his sixth tournament win of the year, which includes the World Championship, the World Cup of Darts, and the World Matchplay.