'I didn’t expect that sort of performance from him' - Luke Littler given a scare at Poland Darts Masters by Karel Sedlacek

Luke Littler is through to the quarter-finals of the 2025 Poland Darts Masters. 'The Nuke' didn't have things all his own way against Karel Sedlacek on Friday night, but eventually managed to prevail 6-4, setting up a meeting with Nathan Aspinall later this evening in Gliwice.

With both Littler and Sedlacek averaging just under the 98 mark, it turned into a very evenly matched encounter. "Yeah, it was a very, very tough game. It’s what we Premier League players want. We want the best out of these Polish players and the Czech players. But yeah, I’m happy with my performance," reflected the world champion in his post-match press conference.

Clearly, Littler was impressed by what he saw from Sedlacek on Friday night. "I said to him, 'Well played, keep it up,'" he explained. "He’s a really top player. I didn’t expect that sort of performance from him, but he pushed me all the way."

Although the venue in Poland wasnt a complete sell out, Littler was happy to have the crowd in attendance in his side for much of the match. "When I came out, they said there were a lot of empty seats, but one of the guys said there were still 5,000 in tonight," he says. "But yeah, I just play my darts. It was pretty loud, obviously, when we hit the 180s and the big checkouts. But yeah, hopefully it’s better tomorrow."

"Yeah, I think it was okay — until the last leg when I set up the 76, they were booing and whistling," Littler adds. "But I think they wanted that last-leg decider. I’m afraid I won the match."

Finally, Littler cast an eye towards the end of the season and the PDC World Darts Championship, where a record breaking £1 million will be on offer to the tournament winner.

"It’s absolutely massive. For myself, I’ve played a big part in it. But I’m pretty sure the increase in prize money was always going to come," he concludes. "It was the same for many, many years — especially the World Championships. But yeah, whoever wins the World Championships is going to go straight to number one."