Luke Littler’s impressive performance against Darius Labanauskas at the 2025-26 PDC World Championship has garnered praise. Littler, aged 18, secured a 3-0 victory on the lively opening night at Alexandra Palace.
Although the reigning champion faced a tough challenge, with Labanauskas, ranked 95th globally, starting strongly with a 130 checkout on the bull in the first leg. The Lithuanian pushed Littler to deciding legs in the first two sets. Despite this, Littler managed to overcome Labanauskas, a former World Championship quarter-finalist, setting up a second-round match against either David Davies from Wales or Mario Vandenbogaerde from Belgium.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Littler expressed his satisfaction with the win, acknowledging the nerve-wracking nature of the match. He highlighted the importance of winning the first set against the darts and emphasized the challenges of the first-round games in the tournament.
Mark Webster, a Sky pundit, commended Littler for his performance and honesty, drawing parallels to his own first-round experience in the previous year. Reflecting on the match, Webster praised Littler’s ability to handle the pressure and outplay his opponent.
Following his victory, Littler now has a 10-day break before aiming to defend his Sid Waddell Trophy in the upcoming final next month. Fans are now speculating on whether Littler will retain his crown in the tournament.
In other matches on the opening night, 2023 champion Michael Smith defeated Women’s World Matchplay winner Lisa Ashton 3-0. Smith admitted to BBC Radio 5 Live that the first set was tense but credited his ability to settle into the game and secure the win.
The first round of the championship will continue for another week before concluding on Friday, with the final scheduled for January 3, 2025. Darts enthusiasts can catch all the action live exclusively on Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle starting December 11.