Luke Littler concerns raised ahead of Grand Slam of Darts with 'reservations' over teenager's chances
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Darts star Matt Edgar feels Luke Littler's form at the major ranking events this year don't bode well for the 17-year-old ahead of the Grand Slam of Darts.
Littler has enjoyed a stellar debut campaign since turning professional 12 months ago, winning several titles already.
His biggest by far came in the Premier League play-offs when he defeated Luke Humphries to clinch the famous trophy.
The teenager also won the World Series Finals in September, defeating Michael Smith in the fnial for the £80,000 prize.
Luke Littler has struggled at the major ranking events
GettyBut he's struggled in other premier events this year and was knocked out in the first round of the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and European Championship.
Littler will be hoping to improve that record this week in the Grand Slam of Darts after being drawn in a group along with Dimitri Van den Bergh, Keane Barry and Lourence Ilagan.
Edgar, who will make his WDF World Championships debut later this month, feels Littler will be favoured to get out of his group.
But the 38-year-old can't completely back Littler to go all the way given his early knockouts at some premier events this year.
“I don’t think you can look past Luke and Dimitri," he said on Sky Sports' Love the Darts podcast.
"But I do have reservations about Luke on the basis that, when we look at his TV form… it’s not TV form full-stop because he’s won the Premier League and World Series events.
“[But] ranking TV titles. He should already be in the top 16.
"He’s gone out in the first round of all of them. If he had just won a game, he would be in the top 16 already.
Luke Littler won the Premier League title this year
PA“There are just a couple of question marks there. And let’s just say, there are lots of people who want him to do well - but now there are people who don’t want him to do well because he’s become that guy.
“It’s great for us and it’s great for the sport. We’re wrestling fans and we know that if you can draw emotion from someone, whether you want them to win or you want them to lose, you’re doing a great job.
“Luke Littler is probably the first person since Gerwyn Price - and Gerwyn Price was the first person for a long time - who has managed to draw that [emotion from fans].
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Luke Littler is back in action at the Grand Slam of Darts this week
PA"The sport is going in a good way with Luke in there but I would like to see him start winning in the ranking events.”
Humphries is the defending Grand Slam of Darts champion with the winner taking home a huge £150,000 prize.
It's also the final event before the PDC World Championships next month, where Littler will be heavily backed to reach the final once again.
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