Luke Littler has disclosed that Mensur Suljovic predicted their encounter in the third round of the World Darts Championship before the tournament commenced. Littler, aged 18, progressed in the competition by defeating Welsh player David Davies in straight sets.
Despite being the favorite to win at Alexandra Palace, Littler’s path to victory seems clearer after Gerwyn Price, a contender in his quarter of the draw, was eliminated by Wesley Plaisier. Suljovic also secured a win against Joe Cullen in a tense match earlier in the day.
Cullen criticized Suljovic’s slow style of play on social media, accusing him of cheating. Suljovic brushed off the remarks and shifted his focus to the upcoming matches.
Prior to the tournament, Suljovic had anticipated facing Littler. Following Littler’s triumph over Davies, he disclosed receiving a brief message from the 53-year-old player.
During a post-match interview, Littler shared details of the message he received from Suljovic, expressing excitement about their upcoming match. Littler mentioned, “I watched it this afternoon and Mensur, he played well. No one knows this. When the tournament draw came out, he messaged me and said: ‘See you in round three.’ So Mensur, let’s have a great game.”
Littler hopes for a better experience than Cullen had against Suljovic. Cullen, visibly frustrated with Suljovic’s pace, displayed his displeasure during their match and later criticized Suljovic’s conduct on social media.
The evening proved successful for Littler, with potential threats like Cullen and Ryan Joyce being eliminated from the competition. Littler’s path to the final appears promising, especially after Chris Dobey, another potential opponent, was defeated last night.
The PDC World Darts Championship commenced on December 11, with fans having exclusive live access to every match through Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.