08 February 2024 , 23:01
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Luke Littler suffered a heartbreaking defeat on the second night of Premier League Darts as Michael van Gerwen triumphed in a mouthwatering final in Berlin.
Having lost in the semi-final to eventual winner Michael Smith on the opening night of Premier League Darts in Cardiff last week, Littler, 17, was on a mission to bounce back on Thursday night. He overcame Rob Cross and Luke Humphries, who beat him in the World Darts Championship final last month, but ultimately came up short in a nail-biting final against the legendary Van Gerwen, who won 6-5.
Littler moved 2-0 ahead before Van Gerwen hit back to move 3-2 legs in front but the pair could not be separated with the current PDC World Youth Champion close to a 145 checkout before levelling at 4-4. They went into the final leg locked at 5-5 and both hit 180s but Van Gerwen missed the bull for victory.
Littler had the chance to wrap up win in the final leg and had to hit 80 but missed out, hitting treble 20 but he then missed two darts at double 10 for the match. Van Gerwen duly stepped up to find double four to clinch the match - but it was another inspiring performance from Littler.
Speaking after his win, Van Gerwen told Sky Sports: "A lot of times I don't miss treble 20s either but it happens in darts. I thought it was a fantastic night for darts. I'm really pleased with my own performance today, finally I was able to give it the final push.
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"I'm playing really well and in the important moments I was able to keep the pressure on my opponents. I feel good but there is more to come.
"Me and Vincent van der Voort have been speaking a lot and sometimes my energy levels in the game hasn't been great. You need to find a solution because I know I have the ability. We're working on that but at the moment it's going really well."
Michael van Gerwen secured victory in Berlin (Getty Images)On playing Luke Littler in finals, he added: "It's good. I hope we can keep it that way as well. In this format, in the Premier League, you have to be good week after week. It's non-stop and I think that was good for me. I was always putting energy into my game and that helps me in the long run.
"It is only week two. Everyone was saying 'last week you lost in the first round!' Don't worry, it's not a sprint, it's a marathon."
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