Luke Littler expressed amazement at a 15-year-old rising star in darts, Mitchell Lawrie. Lawrie, born in 2010, has been making waves at the WDF World Championship held at Lakeside recently.
Lawrie made history on Sunday by becoming the youngest player to clinch a victory at Lakeside after defeating Japan’s Tomoya Maruyama. He then went on to secure a 3-0 win against last year’s semi-finalist Jason Brandon, showcasing exceptional skills with five maximum scores and impressive checkouts.
Additionally, Lawrie achieved a remarkable 97.21 average, the highest recorded at the tournament thus far.
In response to Lawrie’s performance, Littler took to the WDF Darts Instagram account, commenting, “This kid is a joke.”
Lawrie expressed pride and excitement after his victory over Brandon, stating, “I’m absolutely thrilled with myself. The number two seed was a tough opponent, having reached the semi-finals last year. I knew it would be a challenging match from the start.”
He further added, “I focused on starting strong, and fortunately, I managed to do just that. I was pleased with my performance overall, especially not having a leg over 15 darts in the first set.”
Lawrie made a strong start in the first set, finishing each leg in under 15 darts. Although he missed a potential nine-dart finish, he executed a brilliant 134 checkout instead.
Reflecting on the match, Lawrie said, “I could have hit the nine-darter, but overall, it was a fantastic experience. The crowd’s support was incredible from the beginning, especially after hitting the 180. The atmosphere was fantastic.”
As Lawrie approached the finish line, he faced a brief challenge from Brandon’s improved performance. However, Lawrie elevated his game to secure the victory, acknowledging, “I started strong, had a slight lapse in the final set, but regained focus as Brandon picked up his game.”
When questioned about any nerves during his final throws, Lawrie mentioned, “I wasn’t nervous, just missed my shot. It was double two that I missed. There was some distraction from a spectator, but overall, the crowd was supportive.”
The PDC World Darts Championship is set to commence on December 11, with fans able to catch all the action live exclusively on Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.