Warrington darts sensation Luke Littler has been knocked out of the World Youth Championship at the semi-final stage, suffering a 6-5 defeat to Cam Crabtree. The loss ends the 19-year-old world number one’s bid to hold both the senior and youth world titles simultaneously, according to the BBC. Crabtree, aged 23 and world number 68, will now face German Jan Schmidt in the final on 29 November.
Semi-final Match Details
The tightly contested semi-final saw Crabtree establish an early 2-0 lead against the 2023 World Youth Champion. Littler, however, quickly responded, recovering with a “brutal three-leg spell” that included a magnificent 164 checkout and back-to-back 14-darters, as reported by Sky Sports. This propelled him to a 3-2 advantage. Undeterred, Crabtree regained the lead with 92 and 100 finishes, making the score 5-4. Littler forced a last-leg decider with a terrific 117 checkout, but Crabtree secured the win with a 16-dart hold on double six, concluding with a 97.91 average.
Littler’s Tournament Journey
Before his semi-final exit, Littler had demonstrated strong form in the tournament. He was flawless in the group stage, securing three victories. His path to the semi-finals included a comeback from 3-0 down against 16-year-old Lewis Cook, a 6-1 win over David Fidler, a 6-4 victory against Archie Self, and a 6-2 triumph over Harrison Leigh to reach the final four, Sky Sports detailed. The World Youth Championship is open to players aged 16-24, according to Sky Sports, or 23 or under at the start of the season as stated by the BBC, and offers a £60,000 prize fund. Littler remains eligible to enter the tournament four more times.
Recent Performance and Expert Opinion
This defeat marks the latest in a series of “surprise exits” for Littler. He was previously knocked out of the World Grand Prix in the first round by Luke Woodhouse and lost to Jonny Clayton in the quarter-finals of the World Series of Darts finals. Sky Sports commentator Wayne Mardle questioned Littler’s participation in the World Youth Championship, stating, “I don’t know what he wants to gain from it. It doesn’t make any sense to me.” Mardle expressed that he wasn’t concerned with players losing in a “hard industry,” but rather with how Littler has been losing, suggesting he “hasn’t been playing that well” and is “underperforming right now,” which he attributed to having “a couple of off days” rather than a fundamental issue.
Players Championship Qualification
Littler’s schedule this season has seen him skip the majority of Pro Tour events, impacting his standing in the Players Championship. He is currently ranked 126th in the Players Championship order of merit; only the top 64 qualify. Four Players Championship events remain, though two are scheduled for Den Bosch in the Netherlands, where Littler recently withdrew from events after experiencing boos from crowds.
Sources