Luke Littler warns opponent his pre-match comments are 'not really good for his game'

12/29/2024 04:42 PM

Ryan Joyce admitted that Luke Littler will not have to be at his absolute best to beat him and the Nuke is not sure his opponent is doing himself any favours with that kind of talk.

Littler and Joyce meet in the last 16 of the World Darts Championship on Monday night, with the winner getting a crack at either Ricardo Pietreczko or Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals.

Littler has not consistently hit his blistering top form, but has still picked up reasonably comfortable wins over Ryan Meikle and Ian White.

Joyce has needed three wins to reach this stage, beating Darius Labanauskas , Danny Noppert and Ryan Searle, mostly thanks to his red hot doubling rather than his scoring prowess.

The man known as Relentless is happy to admit that if Littler clicks into top gear then the teenager will have too much for him in the scoring department, but says he will be ready to pounce if the Nuke’s standards slip.

‘I haven’t got the scoring power consistency to compete with Luke Littler, but I can hit the doubles,’ said Joyce after beating Searle 4-3.

‘I’ll go into the game thinking I can win the match, but I’ll also feel like I’m the underdog to win. We’ve seen in sport so many times that the favourite doesn’t always win, otherwise it would be boring to watch wouldn’t it.

‘If Luke Littler plays at his absolute top level, he can beat anybody won’t he and he will brush me aside comfortably.

‘If he just has a couple of off sets, he’ll find that it will be two sets all after four. I’m not going to miss many doubles against him so he’s going to have to play well I think – just not his absolute best!’

Joyce’s admission was put to Littler and the 17-year-old was surprised to hear those comments from the 39-year-old, believing it could be detrimental to Joyce’s game to admit such a thing.

‘I didn’t know he said that!’ Littler said. ‘If that’s what he’s thinking it’s not really good for his game.

‘But I’ve just got to focus on my game and it’s all about what happens on the day.’

Littler finished his 4-1 win over White with an average of 97.84 in a good performance which lacked fireworks.

He knows that Joyce will take chances if he gives them to him, but intends to take his own which his scoring will present.

‘I know I can do a lot better, but in set-play, it’s all about winning,’ said the tournament favourite. ‘I was happy with my performance scoring-wise.

‘My doubles need to be a bit better, but as soon as I won that first set tonight, I felt settled.

‘I’m expecting the same old Ryan, hitting his doubles first or second time, but I just need to take the opportunities when I can.’