Emerging Darts Prodigy Clinches Belgian Open Crown in Thrilling Final

Wieze, Belgium – March 12, 2024

In a captivating display of darts excellence, 17-year-old Luke Littler has been crowned the 2024 Belgian Open champion after a nail-biting 8-7 victory over seasoned veteran Rob Cross.

The young prodigy’s triumphant performance was punctuated by a sublime nine-dart finish, which electrified the crowd and earned him a heartfelt embrace and ovation from his opponent. Littler, displaying remarkable poise beyond his years, weathered the ebb and flow of the pulsating final, trading blows with Cross and showcasing the depth of his talent.

“I’m just glad to get over the line,” Littler told the PDC after the match. “I lost the two legs after I hit the nine, so I’m relieved to get the win. It’s always good to be involved in a good game; me and Rob have battles and we bring the best out of each other.”

The Briton’s impressive average of 103.76 complemented his 50% finishing rate, which included several 140-plus checkouts. Cross, though narrowly missing out on the championship, praised Littler’s exceptional display, acknowledging the youngster’s bright future in the sport.

“Luke is special, he has such a bright future in front of him; the nine was amazing,” Cross said after the match.

Littler’s path to the final saw him overcome Jermaine Wattimena 6-2 and Ricardo Pietreczko 7-3, the latter of whom confronted the young darts star, accusing him of “arrogance” before storming off the stage. Littler, however, dismissed the incident, stating, “No idea what I did wrong, no idea what he said. He said something then ‘don’t do it again.'”

Cross had earlier triumphed over Ryan Searle 6-2 and world number five Gerwyn Price 7-3, but was ultimately unable to overcome the determined efforts of the emerging talent.

The 2024 Blåkläder Belgian Darts Open champion, Luke Littler, takes home a well-deserved £30,000 in prize money for his impressive victory.

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