Luke Littler, a darts phenom just over two weeks away from turning 17 years old, snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory in the World Darts Championship final on Wednesday night, losing to a much older player in a dramatic match that hinted at the teenager’s promising future in the sport.
Losing 7-4 to Luke Humphries at London’s Alexandra Palace, a venue lovingly nicknamed the Ally Pally by its raucous crowds, Littler still walked away as runner-up with £200,000 ($250,000) and a claim to the world No. 32 spot, a far cry from where he previously ranked at No. 164. Humphries, a 28-year-old known as “Cool Hand” Luke, came back from 2-4 down to win five sets in a row, cinching the £500,000 prize and the No. 1 ranking.
“It has been unbelievable,” Littler told Sky Sports after the final. “The one negative was I lost too many legs on my throw, so Luke could break me. Every game has been good—just that one really annoyed me.”
The 16-year-old, a world youth champion, skyrocketed to national stardom after his debut as an unseeded player in the world championship tournament on Dec. 20. He blazed a trail to the final by vanquishing six opponents in a row, including former champions Rob Cross and Raymond van Barneveld.
On the way to the top, Littler won the hearts of the public, dominated the news cycle, and scored free Premier League tickets—all with a decidedly easygoing and upbeat flair. Asked recently about his daily routine, he outlined an endearingly conventional schedule: “Just wake up, play on my Xbox, have some food, have a chuck on the board, and go to bed—that’s it.”
On the day of the final, Littler told reporters, he planned to “go for my ham and cheese omelet,” grab a pizza later, “and then practice on the board.” Then, he would let it rip.
On Wednesday evening, though, No. 3 seed Humphries was on an even hotter streak than Littler, having won 18 matches in a row to get to the final. With this victory, which literally brought the 28-year-old to his knees, he has now won four of the past five major tournaments run by the Professional Darts Corporation.
“I could not put into words how great this feels,” he told Sky Sports.
Ceding the possibility that the future might belong to his younger opponent, however, Humphries added, “In the back of my mind throughout today, I was thinking: ‘Get this one now because he’s going to dominate world darts soon.’ He’s an incredible player. When I was on the brink of winning there, he was relentless.”