(Reuters) – Teenager Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler created history in Bahrain on Friday when he became the youngest player to throw a nine-darter in the World Series. Just two days shy of his 17th birthday, the Englishman achieved this feat during his 6-3 quarter-final win over fourth-seeded compatriot Nathan Aspinall at the Bahrain Darts Masters.
In the World Series, which began in 2013, the only other player to throw a nine-darter was Phil Taylor. Littler, who will face Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals, is competing in his first tournament since reaching the final of the PDC World Darts Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace, where his surprising performance turned him into an unlikely sporting hero.
The reigning world champion, Luke Humphries, had his 20-game winning streak ended in the quarter-final when he was defeated 6-4 by Price. Littler’s nine-dart finish was achieved by throwing triple 20s with his first seven darts and then hitting a treble 19 and a double 12. Aspinall joined in the celebrations as the crowd erupted in excitement.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Clare Fallon)
