10 March 2024 , 16:30
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Darts wonderkid Luke Littler tore into Krzysztof Ratajski for his efforts to distract him during the second round of the Belgian Open.
The pair came together during on Saturday evening and there was a bizarre incident between Littler and his opponent involving a water bottle.
With the 17-year-old leading 2-1 in legs, Ratajski appeared to drink from Littler’s bottle rather than his own. He quickly noticed and then shook his head in bemusement before gesturing with his hand and firing the Pole a confused look.
Once he had returned to his table, Littler then picked up the bottle, placed it on the floor and then opened a fresh one. It did not appear to affect his form as the youngster went on to drop just one further leg to secure a 6-3 success.
Speaking after the game, Littler said: “I saw him drink a bit of my water. I saw him do it again so I just put it on the floor. Trying to get to me.
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"If he is then fair enough, I'm just glad to get the win.”
Littler then continued his criticism of Ratajski on social media, making clear his belief that it wasn't merely an honest mistake. Sharing a screenshot of the incident, he wrote: “0-0 drinks my water? 1-2 drinks my water? hmm... goodnight see you all in the morning.”
Littler’s success against his water-stealing opponent teed up a third round tie with Damon Heta, a game he also won 6-3. That saw him progress to Sunday’s quarter-final, where he is due to come up against Jermaine Wattimena.
Krzysztof Ratajski drinks Luke Littler's water (PDC)
Littler was forced to open a new bottle (PDC)How far will Luke Littler go in the Premier League? Share your predictions from the comments below
Away from the Belgian Darts Open, Littler has also enjoyed a bright start to life in the Premier League. He sits third in the table after six weeks but has yet to win an event.
Wayne Mardle believes that he needs to start getting over the line if he wants to have any hope of progressing to the playoff stage. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "Michael van Gerwen ’s been getting the wins, but numbers-wise, statistics suggest that he [Littler] is playing some of the best starts in the Premier League.
“The way that he's scoring, he's right up there with what anyone's doing in the Premier League. The finishing is not great, it's decent, so there's improvement to be made.
"He needs to start getting wins though. He played great in the UK, Open, but didn't win. He played some amazing games in this but not won a weekly event. He needs to start crossing the line and winning. Once that start happens it will become a habit for him."
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