Luke Littler beaten by former World Darts champion Michael Smith to leave Premier League play-off hopes in peril
LUKE LITTLER is still searching for his first ever Premier League night win.
The teen sensation saw his eighth attempt at going all the way brought to an early end with a loss to Michael Smith in Dublin.
Luke Littler has been dumped from night eight of the Premier League in the first roundSportsfile
Michael Smith got the better of the teenager during their quarter-finalSportsfile
Littler was unable to get the better of the World number three who secured his spot in the semi-finals with a 6-4 victory.
The Nuke failed to hit the treble 20 anywhere near as often enough as he averaged just 97.52 – one of his lowest Premier League returns of the season.
Smith has now got the better of the youngster in Cardiff, Brighton and Dublin during the campaign.
It is a result that opens up the top spots in the Premier League and could leave Littler’s hopes of a play-off place in peril.
Smith followed the win with another victory over Gerwyn Price to book a place in the final, only to then fall at the last hurdle in a 6-2 defeat to the formidable Luke Humphries.
Cool Hand Look is in sensational form and another Premier League night win further cements why he is the world number one at the moment.
Littler on the other hand will have to continue to wait for his chance at entering the Premier League winners circle during his debut season in the competition.
The 17-year-old has been unable to translate his trophy winning form from elsewhere into the Premier League.
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He was already claimed silverware at both the Bahrain Masters and the Belgian Darts Open this season since he burst onto the scene with his efforts at the World Championships.
Littler is aware that he needs to raise his game in the Premier League if he wants to break his duck.
And the Warrington lad made that clear even before his loss when speaking to Sky Sports.
He said: “It’s my first year in the Prem. Some weeks have gone to plan and some weeks haven’t.
“But it’s all about getting the points on the board. Obviously this is the halfway point, whatever happens from now until the end is the crucial part of the Prem.”
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