Luke Littler claimed his second World Series of Darts title of 2024 with a commanding victory at the Superbet Poland Darts Masters in Gliwice on Saturday. Littler triumphed over Rob Cross 8-3 in the final, marking his sixth PDC stage title of the year in front of an enthusiastic crowd of over 9,000 fans at the PreZero Arena.
Littler, who won the Bahrain Darts Masters on his World Series debut in January, has now secured two out of four World Series events in a remarkable debut year. His path to victory in Poland included defeating top players Peter Wright and Michael Smith in the final stages on Saturday.
“I’m delighted to get the win; it’s an amazing feeling to lift trophies in front of massive crowds,” Littler said.
“I had a week off in Orlando [after the US Darts Masters] and there was a bit of rustiness at times but I’ve played well overall. Rob didn’t play as well as he had been doing in the final and I punished him.”
The 17-year-old rising star showcased his talent with a 101.84 average in the final, including a decisive 164 checkout to establish a 4-1 lead. Despite Cross’s strong performance in previous rounds, he could not recover in the final.
“Luke was brilliant but I didn’t do myself justice in the final,” admitted Cross, who has reached three World Series finals in three weeks. “I’ve loved being back in Poland; the crowd was amazing and I’d love to come back next year. I’m enjoying the game more than ever and feel very blessed to be on these big stages.”
The semi-finals featured impressive displays from both finalists. Cross averaged 106.68 to defeat reigning champion Michael van Gerwen 7-2, while Littler narrowly edged out Michael Smith 7-6 after surviving match darts in a thrilling contest. Littler’s earlier victory over Peter Wright in the quarter-finals was also notable, as he defied Wright’s 109.73 average to win 6-3.
Other quarter-final results included Michael van Gerwen’s 109.98 average in a 6-0 whitewash of Boris Krcmar, Michael Smith’s tight 6-5 win against World Champion Luke Humphries, and Cross’s 6-4 victory over Stephen Bunting.
The World Series of Darts continues on August 9-10 with the Australian Darts Masters, where Cross will defend his title. The series will then move to Hamilton for the New Zealand Darts Masters on August 16-17, followed by the JACKS.NL World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam in September.
2024 Superbet Poland Darts Masters
Saturday, June 15
Quarter-Finals
- Luke Littler 6-3 Peter Wright
- Michael Smith 6-5 Luke Humphries
- Rob Cross 6-4 Stephen Bunting
- Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Boris Krcmar
Semi-Finals
- Luke Littler 7-6 Michael Smith
- Rob Cross 7-2 Michael van Gerwen
Final
- Luke Littler 8-3 Rob Cross
