Luke Littler Faces Backlash Over Controversial Move at Australian Darts Masters
World champion Luke Littler is in the spotlight following a contentious performance during his opening match at the Australian Darts Masters. The young star narrowly defeated New Zealand’s Haupai Puha 6-5 in a thrilling final-leg showdown. The controversy erupted during the eleventh leg when Littler opted to hit a single one instead of aiming for a maximum score, setting himself up for a potential ‘Big Fish’ checkout at 170 points.
Fans reacted strongly on social media, labeling Littler’s decision as disrespectful to his opponent in what was already a tense match. During the penultimate leg, Littler found himself needing 291 points. After successfully landing two treble 20s, the crowd expected a third dart to complete the 180. Instead, he aimed for single one, a tactical choice that would leave him with 170 points for a dramatic finish. Unfortunately, his final dart narrowly missed the bullseye, failing to secure the checkout.
This misstep opened the door for Puha, who capitalized on the opportunity and leveled the match at 5-5, despite having trailed earlier in the contest. Fans quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their opinions. One user, @Wim_NL180, stated, "Hitting single 1 on 171 on purpose to leave 170 is just disrespectful towards your opponent." Another critic, @danstapleton89, added, "I get that it’s a glorified exhibition, but Haupai is a tour card holder, and this competition means a lot to him given its location."
@DanJones3142 questioned Littler’s defenders, saying, "How can anyone defend this? He’s a professional darts player, and it’s clear he wasn’t playing to the best of his ability."
When asked about his controversial strategy after the match, Littler seemed uncertain. He admitted, "I don’t even know. I think it was just for myself. At that point, I was 5-4 up. Maybe I should have aimed for the 180 since Haupai had the darts in the last leg. But I thought I’d leave it and try to finish it." Littler also recognized that his performance was below par, citing inadequate preparation as a factor affecting his game. "It wasn’t my best, but that’s what happens in the first game," he said. "I had to grind it out. Not much practice has been put in, and people don’t see the behind-the-scenes struggles, like body clock issues and sleepless nights."
Looking ahead, Littler is set to face a challenging quarter-final match against Australian favorite Damon Heta on Saturday.
Stay tuned for more updates as the Australian Darts Masters unfolds!
