‘The Nuke’ wasn’t in meltdown, however neither was he at his greatest.
His check-out accuracy was off. Doubles have been elusive. He wobbled within the final 16, edging previous unseeded Ryan Joyce 4-3.
However, when it has mattered, Littler plucked precision from the quiver.
Worryingly for the opposition, he has began to search out his completely happy place too.
“I will be trustworthy, no nerves,” he stated after his quarter-final victory, a 5-2 walloping of Nathan Aspinall.
“I am enjoying with absolute confidence, with freedom.”
Stephen Bunting was barely a semi-final speedbump for Littler’s steamrolling momentum. He averaged 105.48, his highest of this yr’s competitors, in a 6-1 thrashing of the world quantity 5.
Now, Michael van Gerwen stands between Littler and dart’s largest prize, full with a £500,000 pay day.
The Dutchman is the youngest PDC world champion up to now, having received the title as a 24-year-old in 2014.
That interval was outlined by the Van Gerwen’s titanic, torch-passing tussles with Phil Taylor, a rivalry that super-charged darts’ rise and noticed him declare three world titles.
Littler is the beneficiary, however has added one other story to the edifice.
He’s already, by a ways, the best-known darts participant on the earth. Will he now be the most effective participant?
