Luke Littler: PDC world champion beaten in first Players Championship of 2025
2025-02-11
Category: sports

Luke Littler was knocked out of the first Players Championship event of the year as he lost 6-3 to Joe Cullen.The 18-year-old PDC world champion averaged just 87.8 in the third-round match while fellow Englishman Cullen managed 95.4.Cullen threw six 180s as he won five consecutive legs to reach the last 16 of the tournament at the Robin Park Leisure Centre in Wigan.By contrast Littler uncharacteristically missed 15 doubles and was way below his best.Another big-name casualty at the same stage was world number five Stephen Bunting, who suffered a 6-4 defeat to Andrew Gilding while James Wade went down 6-1 to Ross Smith.World number one Luke Humphries went through with a comfortable 6-2 win over Mensur Suljovic.Dutchman Michael van Gerwen, who beat Littler in the Premier League opener in Belfast last week, is not taking part in this tournament.There are 34 Players Championship events across the year, with the competition's finals scheduled to be held in Minehead from 21-23 November.