Luke Littler has solidified his position as one of the world's top darts players by retaining his World Matchplay title. The 19-year-old, who is currently ranked number one in the world, defeated Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the final, held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
Littler's victory marked a historic moment in the sport, as he broke Phil Taylor's long-standing records for both the tournament and final averages. His impressive performance in the final saw him achieve an average of 111.53, surpassing Taylor's record of 111.23 set in 2013.
The young darts star's win has earned him a significant £225,000 in prize money, taking his total earnings over the PDC's two-year order of merit to £3,143,500. This puts him £2.13 million ahead of his nearest competitor, Luke Humphries.
Littler's impressive display in the final was characterised by stunning checkouts, including a 167 finish in the fourth leg, which secured an early break. He also hit 12 180s in the final, setting a new tournament record of 66.
Price, who was the seventh seed in the tournament, had a successful week, climbing to fourth in the order of merit and reclaiming the Welsh number one spot from Jonny Clayton.