Luke Littler delivered a commanding performance to crush James Wade 11-2 and claim victory in Sunday’s Ladbrokes UK Open final.
The teenage sensation put on a masterclass at Butlin’s Minehead Resort, averaging 101 and hitting nine 180s in the showpiece match to secure his maiden UK Open crown and the £110, 000 top prize.
Littler had whitewashed Wade in eight consecutive legs during last month’s Winmau World Masters, and history looked to be repeating itself as he stormed to a 9-0 lead.
Wade finally ended his 17-leg losing streak against Littler to avoid another whitewash, but the Warrington prodigy remained unstoppable, sealing his fifth televised major title with another dominant display.
“This was a tournament I really wanted to win, ” admitted Littler, who averaged an astonishing 104.35 across his six matches.
“It’s my third time at the UK Open. I played here as a 16-year-old, reached the quarter-finals last year, and now I’ve gone three steps further to lift the trophy!
“I had a job to do tonight. I just wanted to get my hands on the title, and now I can tick it off my list!”
Littler’s road to victory began with a thrilling fourth-round win over 2017 champion Peter Wright on Friday, where he averaged 108.69 in a last-leg decider.
The 18-year-old continued his strong form, producing another three-figure average to overcome Jermaine Wattimena before holding off a late surge from Krzysztof Ratajski to book his place in the last eight.
On Finals Day, Littler was relentless, averaging 107 and 106 in emphatic wins over Gian van Veen and Jonny Clayton.
After brushing aside Van Veen in a repeat of their 2023 World Youth Championship final, Littler then won six of the last seven legs against Clayton, securing an 11-6 victory and avenging his recent World Masters defeat to the Welshman.
The reigning World Champion carried that momentum into the final against Wade, producing clinical 88 and 91 checkouts before an 11-darter established a three-leg lead.
Wade missed six darts at double in the fourth leg, a mistake Littler punished ruthlessly. He responded with legs of 13, 14, and 11 darts to race into an 8-0 advantage.
Although Wade eventually found his range on the doubles, Littler remained ruthless, sealing the title with a precise double six to round off a phenomenal performance.
Despite the heavy defeat, Wade impressed throughout the weekend in Minehead, delivering some clutch performances to reach his first televised ranking final since October 2023.
The Aldershot veteran began his campaign with victories over Scotland’s William Borland and Cameron Menzies, recovering from 9-7 down and surviving five match darts to edge past Menzies.
Following a battling 10-8 win over former semi-finalist Rob Owen in the last 16, Wade prevailed in a dramatic quarter-final against world number one Luke Humphries, hitting six 180s in the final three legs of their epic encounter.
The 41-year-old then dismantled Josh Rock 11-2 in the semi-finals with a clinical display, but he had no answer for Littler’s brilliance in the final.
“This is a big step forward for me, ” said Wade, who is closing in on a return to the world’s top ten.
“I played well in the semi-finals, but Luke just blew me away in the final.
“I’m the senior player here, but he absolutely destroyed me! What can you do against that? He was simply the better man on the night.
“Fair play to Luke—right now, he’s easily one of the top two players in the world.”
Elsewhere on Finals Day, Rock reached his first-ever televised ranking semi-final, following wins over Ross Smith and Rob Cross with a 10-7 victory against 2019 champion Nathan Aspinall.
Meanwhile, Jonny Clayton booked his semi-final spot with a 10-8 win over 2022 runner-up Michael Smith, staging a brilliant comeback that featured three ton-plus checkouts.
2025 Ladbrokes UK Open
Sunday March 2
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Luke Littler 10-4 Gian van Veen
Josh Rock 10-7 Nathan Aspinall
Jonny Clayton 10-8 Michael Smith
James Wade 10-9 Luke Humphries
Evening Session
Semi-Finals
Luke Littler 11-6 Jonny Clayton
James Wade 11-2 Josh Rock
Final
Luke Littler 11-2 James Wade
