Luke Littler's aspirations for the Players Championship finals in November have faced a setback following his defeat to Jermaine Wattimena in the quarter-finals of PC27 in Leicester. Playing in his first Pro Tour event of 2026, Littler was edged out in a last-leg decider, with Wattimena securing his first victory against Littler on the PDC tour with a 115 checkout.
Despite the loss, the 19-year-old remained positive, posting "on the move" on Instagram. Qualification for the November finals is crucial for Littler as he aims to achieve a calendar sweep of ranking events this year.
Currently, Littler is in 141st place for the Players Championship finals, having earned £4,000 from Tuesday's event. The top 64 players qualify for Minehead in November. While seven Players Championship events remain, Littler has previously stated his intention to only participate in UK events, meaning he would have three more opportunities to climb the order of merit after Wednesday's event at the same venue. He is presently £22,250 behind Mario Vandenbogaerde, who holds 64th place.