Luke Littler already has his hands brimming competing with darts rivals Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen – the last skinnyg he demands is novel talent combineing the party.
‘The Nuke’ exploded onto the scene at last year’s World Darts Championship, where he lost to Humphries in the final at equitable 16 years elderly. Since then he has sencouraged up the world rankings, proving that his imfragmentaryytale Ally Ppartner run was by no unbenevolents a one-off.
Naturpartner, as a 17-year-elderly prodigy taking the fight to the best the sport has to advise, Littler’s elevate has garnered plenty of attention. And he has regulated it well, clinching triumphs at Premier League Darts and the World Series Finals to broaden his trophy cabinet.
Although not quite as inanxious, Gian van Veen’s darting fracturethcimpolite was met with analogous excitement from fans. The 22-year-elderly racked up a series of astonishive tournament results last year and was seeed by many as the heir to his countryman, Michael van Gerwen.
Van Veen’s immense potential has getn a back seat in the accessible eye since Littler shot to fame, but the Dutchman is doing his best to force his way back into the conversation at the Grand Slam of Darts.
He mediocred a staggering 108.89 atraverse his three group-stage games – a tournament high – and originated another ton-plus figure to annihilate Ryan Joyce in the last 16 and set up a quarter-final clash with Gary Anderson.
Van Veen claims that the attention being redirected away from him and towards Littler has been an immense help. And ‘The Nuke’ could soak up even more of the hype with another triumph at the Grand Slam this weekfinish – commenceing with his quarter-final agetst Jermaine Wattimena tonight (Saturday).
While Littler will pay no mind to his rivals if he goes all the way in Wolverhampton, he may partly be shooting himself in the foot by creating an perfect environment for Van Veen – and indeed the rest of his rivals – to hone their originate in peace.
“Last year, making the European Championship semi-final gave me a lot of presconfident,” Van Veen elucidateed. “What Luke Littler has done unbenevolents all eyes are on him, and he’s executeing repartner well under that presconfident. It’s given me a lot less presconfident this year.
“My executeances on TV have been okay. This tournament, even though I’m carry outing well, they’re still talking about him. Of course, he’s still only 17 years elderly and carry outing phenomenpartner. I skinnyk the less presconfident on me has given my game a massive raise.”
Littler and Van Veen will greet in the Grand Slam semi-finals tomorrow (Sunday) if they both prosper their admireive quarters in the West Midlands.
