Darts sensation Luke Littler reveals 2 reasons for shock defeat by world No 97

Darts prodigy Luke Littler has cited fatigue and a punishing schedule as reasons for his first-round exit at the Baltic Sea Darts Open, where he was bested by world No. 97 Wessel Nijman.

The 17-year-old sensation, who has impressively secured his spot in the Premier League Darts play-offs with two nights to spare, couldn't replicate his exceptional form on German soil. Chasing his third Euro Tour title of the year, Littler faced off against the Dutch contender Nijman but succumbed to a 6-3 defeat, managing an uncharacteristic average of just 83.98.

The young darts star struggled with his finishing, missing seven out of 10 doubles, leading to an early departure from the tournament at the Wunderino Arena in Kiel. This performance mirrored his recent Premier League outing where he suffered a 6-1 semi-final loss to Michael van Gerwen. During that match in Leeds, both players had a laughable moment when they each required double one to clinch the fifth leg.

After failing to hit his stride once more in Germany, Littler turned to social media to share that his preparation was hindered by limited rest, having only managed a few hours of sleep due to the back-to-back nature of the Premier League and Euro Tour events.

''Can't expect to play my best darts on 4 hours sleep. Premier League>Euro Tour is gruelling,'' Littler posted on his Instagram story, acknowledging his opponent's performance: "Well played Wessel. See you all Thursday."

Littler had been warned that he faced a physically demanding season following his success at Alexandra Palace and inclusion in the Premier League. He's set to return to the oche on Thursday in Sheffield for the final night of the regular season, before the play-offs commence in London.

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