World Darts Championship finalists played for 250 pounds four years ago

One Luke rarely comes alone: Luke Littler and Luke Humphries are in the final of the World Darts Championship. The only duel between the now 16-year-old Littler and the best player in the world according to the rankings took place four years ago.

Just one step away from the biggest sensation in the history of darts: 16-year-old Luke Littler will play for the World Championship title tonight (9pm, Dazn/Sport1 and in the ntv.de live ticker) at London's Alexandra Palace. The darts world has never seen anything like it, it's already a fairytale across all sports. Littler can justifiably be mentioned in the same breath as the prodigies of world sport, Boris Becker being one such example.

Even the semi-final on Tuesday evening against 2018 world champion Rob Cross was no problem for the carefree teenager. Littler did fall behind for the first time in the entire tournament after Cross won the first set. But the World Championship debutant didn't let that rattle him. Cross missed the bulls-eye to take a 2:0 set lead, Littler checked to equalize.

It was the youngster's first demonstration of power and, in hindsight, the only opportunity for Cross to jeopardize Littler's place in the final. After that, "The Nuke" ("The Atomic Bomb") played just as dominantly as he had been rushing through the World Championships since his first match two weeks ago. Cross only took one more set and could no longer keep up with the teenager's high scoring.

In the eighth set, Littler converted his first match dart on double 10. Without any hint of nervousness, Littler played the 80 points to zero in two seconds and clearly defeated top player Cross 6:2. "Voltage", as the trained electrician is known, was unable to defuse "the atomic bomb".

Debutant in the final? "Have no words for it"

"It's crazy that I'm in the final on my debut," said Littler in his first reaction after the win. At first, the child prodigy from Warrington, located between Liverpool and Manchester, was happy to have made it through the first round. "And now I can be world champion. I have no words for it."

In the final, the new number one in the world rankings awaits the young man for whom there are not enough superlatives. Luke Humphries is his opponent. "Cool Hand Luke", the nickname of the 28-year-old, which would also suit the 16-year-old, defeated surprise semi-finalist Scott Williams 6:0.

It was an outstanding performance from Humphries, who set the top score of the tournament so far with an average of 108 points per shot. The victory puts the Englishman at the top of the world rankings based on prize money won in two years for the first time. Regardless of the outcome of the final, last year's world champion Michael Smith will be replaced at the top.

"This is a huge moment. Being number one in the world is something you can only dream of as a kid. It's incredible to have got there. But I would remain world champion forever, that's what I'm fully focused on," said Humphries, who had already been eliminated in the third round against German Ricardo Pietreczko and in the round of 16 against Joe Cullen.

Littler goes for pizza

Could these sporting near-death experiences be an advantage for the final? "I'm not sure. It's the only thing Luke (Littler; editor's note) hasn't experienced. It's up to me to make sure I put him under pressure very early on," explained Humphries when asked by ntv and is relying above all on a good start to the game for the final.

But seemingly banal things like good food are also important to the perennial winner of past PDC tournaments. "I'm not going to eat anything too heavy or unhealthy because I've built my life over the last few years on feeling good and eating the right things," said Humphries, who looked very different just a few years ago: unathletic, double chin, the whole nine yards. The change to a healthier diet has clearly not done Humphries any harm, as his rise to become a top player in the PDC shows.

However, good nutrition is less important in darts than in other sports. Humphries' opponent in the final proves that it is possible to hit the eight millimeter narrow triple and double fields on the dartboard even after unhealthy meals. "I'll do what I've always done," said Littler when asked about his preparation for the final. "I'll eat my ham and cheese omelette in the morning, then I'll come here, eat a pizza and prepare on the board."

Only duel four years ago

Because Littler was only allowed to take part in one PDC tournament as a 16-year-old before the World Championship (last 64 at the UK Open in March), he and Humphries have never met at professional level.

The only duel between the two was four years ago. Humphries won against his then 12-year-old opponent at a local pub event. The photo of the two of them after the match has long since been exploited by the PDC on all social media. "He wanted to take a picture," said Humphries, who was considered one of many talents at the time, but had already reached a World Championship quarter-final.

"His father was very persistent and said at the time that his son would become a superstar," Humphries recalls of the encounter four years ago. "To look at this photo and now realize that we're facing each other in a World Cup final is incredible, I wouldn't have dared to dream of it."

Back then, the prize money was 250 pounds. "Now it's a bit more," laughed Humphries. Both Lukes have already secured 200,000 pounds, with the world champion adding 500,000 (575,000 euros) in prize money.

Read also:

Tonight, Luke Littler will face Luke Humphries in the World Darts Championship final, a rematch of their duel four years ago at a local pub event where Humphries emerged victorious.

Regardless of the outcome, both players have already secured significant winnings, far surpassing the 250 pounds they competed for in their initial encounter.

Source: www.ntv.de