Wayne Mardle ‘got it wrong’ as Emma Paton rubbed it in on Sky Sports after Luke Littler won | Other

Sky Sports Darts expert Wayne Mardle made a bold claim ahead of Luke Littler’s Grand Slam of Darts final against Martin Lukeman on Sunday evening.

While Littler claimed the title with a dominant 16-3 win, Mardle’s prediction fell apart. The teenager blew Lukeman away with his score, averaging 107.08, putting 35 darts on the double, while his opponent had just six all match.

So scintillating was Littler’s form heading into Sunday’s Grand Slam bonanza – which saw him face Gary Anderson in the semi-final and then Lukeman in the final on the same day – Mardle promised fans they would see a nine-darter.

Littler put on a display in Wolverhampton but the perfect leg eluded him despite coming within one dart twice earlier in the tournament. After the final, Sky Sports host Emma Paton told Mardle: “We didn’t get a nine-darter, you promised one tonight.”

The four-time semi-finalist of the World Darts Championship hit back: “I promised it. The crowd went a bit wild when I suggested it, as if it was all up to me.” Paton replied, “It was!” To which Mardle said, “I’ve got a lot of faults, you know, and I’ve got that wrong too. So what?”

Littler won all seven Grand Slam matches and powered his way through his group before battling through a high-octane knockout stage.

The 2007-born pitcher was pushed all the way in the last 16 by Mike De Decker, and again by Anderson in the semifinals. On both occasions, Littler made a miraculous comeback to prevail in a final-leg decider.

Mardle has revealed that ‘The Nuke’ is forcing him to reconsider his core beliefs as a darts expert. “Against De Decker it was unlikely that he would win the match, but he did that against Gary too. Both times he was in a difficult situation,” he told Sky Sports.

“And both times the opposition didn’t falter; he got better. He’s as good as he needs to be, and the best players in the world do that. They always talked about experience, but I don’t believe in that.” that is no longer for one reason: if you are good enough, you are good enough.

“All experience doesn’t matter. Look at Eric Bristow when he was a teenager. Michael van Gerwen. Now Luke Littler. He can do anything, we know that. But what we see this time is him doing it.” it again and again.”