Luke Littler Defeats Nathan Aspinall 11-8 After Nine-Darter in World Matchplay

Luke Littler defeated Nathan Aspinall 11-8 in a World Matchplay second-round match at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool after opening the contest with a perfect leg that finished on double 15 and later throwing a nine-darter. Aspinall leveled the score at 7-7 before Littler won the next three legs to lead 10-7. Littler sealed the victory by checking out 52 in the 19th leg.

He finished with a tournament average of 113.68, the second highest in World Matchplay history, and hit 14 scores of 180. Littler told Sky Sports that the nine-darter just happened and that the crowd initially booed him before cheering. He described the match as probably the best game he and Aspinall have played against each other.

Littler will face the winner of the match between Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting in the quarter-finals. In other second-round results, Dirk van Duijvenbode defeated Michael van Gerwen 14-12 and Gary Anderson beat Jonny Clayton 11-7.