Luke Littler shared that a remark from Ricardo Pietreczko motivated him to defeat the German 10-6 and secure a spot in the quarter-final of the Players Championship Finals. The 18-year-old initially struggled when he fell behind 3-1 to Pietreczko, but he managed to turn the match around, winning nine out of the next 12 legs with an impressive average to advance to the last eight in Minehead.
Despite the comeback appearing somewhat inevitable, Littler revealed that Pietreczko’s comment during the interval, when the score was tied at five each, fueled his determination. Littler recalled Pietreczko saying, “I was only looking forward to getting one leg, and now I’ve got five,” which motivated Littler to push harder and win the game, leading to a display of showmanship.
Reflecting on his performance, Littler, who recently claimed the world No.1 spot after winning the Grand Slam, showcased an average of 102.67 and hit six 180s during the match. He also replicated a controversial 121 finish from a previous encounter with Pietreczko, sealing the victory with a bull, treble 7, bull combination.
Looking ahead, Littler is set to face world No.9 Chris Dobey in the upcoming quarter-final match. A win against Dobey would potentially set up a clash with the victor of Gerwyn Price versus Daryl Gurney in the semi-finals. Additionally, Nathan Aspinall and Josh Rock will compete in another quarter-final tie, while James Wade and Jermaine Wattimena will conclude the afternoon session at the Players Championship Finals.