Luke Littler Secures Second Consecutive World Matchplay Title with 18-9 Win Over Gerwyn Price
Luke Littler dominates Gerwyn Price 18-9 to retain the World Matchplay title in Blackpool, setting new tournament records.
POLICY WIRE — Blackpool, UK — Luke Littler has successfully defended his Betfred World Matchplay title, overpowering Gerwyn Price with an 18-9 victory in Blackpool. The 19-year-old phenom averaged an astonishing 111.53 in the final, culminating in a tournament average of 111.04, surpassing Phil Taylor’s previous record of 106.31.
Littler also broke his own record for 180s, hitting 12 in the final to reach a total of 66 for the week. This victory marks Littler as only the third player, following Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, to successfully defend the Matchplay title.
The teenager’s exceptional performance continues his remarkable 2026 campaign, having already claimed the World Championship, UK Open, Premier League, and the Masters. He is now in contention for a clean sweep of major trophies this year.
Littler’s dominance was evident from the start, taking an early 3-1 lead with a 167 checkout. Despite a brief resurgence from Price, including a nine-darter that brought the score to 15-9, Littler maintained his composure and sealed the victory.
“It’s been a crazy week, one of the best weeks of my life with the darts I’ve played,” Littler said. “It’s not been easy, it’s been tough. The stats make it look easy but when you’re on this stage with how hot it’s, I’ve definitely played some of the best darts of my life. I feel like it’s the best version of myself. I have just played so well.”
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
