Few sports stars in history are so precocious that their place in the pantheon is assured by the time they are 18. Most experts had expected Gian van Veen to give Littler a proper test. After his 7-1 dismantling, Van Veen was asked whether Littler was unstoppable. With this victory, Littler became only the fourth player to retain a PDC title, following on from Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson. But when Littler won the third set with a 170 checkout all the tension and drama seemed to leave the match.

Source: Irish Examiner January 04, 2026 16:38 UTC