Luke Littler hits back with nine-darter of his own after 18-year-old tries to upstage him | Other | Sport

Luke Littler made an impressive start to life on the PDC Pro Tour by cruising into the last 16 in his first Players Championship on Monday, hitting a nine-darter in his third win of the day. But the 17-year-old sensation was the second teenager to do so after Leighton Bennett marked another special debut with the same feat.

Littler has shone in the Premier League and the World Series since bursting onto the scene at the World Championship across the New Year, but neither count toward the world rankings.

The Players Championship does, though, and he beat Jim Williams 6-1 with an average of over 105 in his debut before cruising past Luke Woodhouse 6-3 in the second round.

Littler then dispatched Michele Turetta 6-1 in the round of 32, wrapping up the triumph with his second nine-darter in weeks, having done so on his way to winning the Bahrain Masters.

Alongside him on the tournament bracket, Bennett looks to be another teenage gearing up to send shockwaves through the darts world.

Bennett earned a spot on the PDC Tour by winning the penultimate day of UK Q School in January, beating Thomas Cromwell in the final in Milton Keynes.

The 18-year-old, crowned the BDO World Youth champion in 2019, fought back from 3-2 down to take four consecutive legs on his way to a 6-3 victory over Cromwell.

He defeated Brett Claydon 6-4 in his first Players Championship match before producing a moment of magic during his second-round clash with Lukas Wenig.

Bennett edged Wenig 6-5 in an entertaining affair that was set alight by his nine-dart finish in the fourth leg, progressing into the last 16 against Cameron Menzies.

However, Bennett missed out on setting up an eye-catching battle of two teenagers on the oche with Littler by narrowly losing 6-5 to Menzies.

He has left the PDC Tour on notice with his performance in Wigan, though, particularly his nine-darter that will live long in his memory.