Luke Littler sends classy message to Chris Dobey after final-leg heartbreak

Luke Littler demonstrated his sportsmanship after losing a final-leg decider to Chris Dobey at the Players Championship in Wigan.

The 17-year-old seemed poised to complete an impressive comeback but was thwarted by Dobey, who later defeated Stephen Bunting in the final to clinch the event. Littler had a sluggish start to the quarter-final match, with his opponent surging into a 5-2 lead.

He fought back by securing three consecutive legs to push it to a decider and appeared set to win after leaving 170 before Dobey had reached a finish. However, the teenager couldn't hold on, with Dobey achieving a 150 checkout to secure the decisive leg and the match.

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Littler was observed wincing as Dobey prepared his match-winning dart but was gracious in defeat, smiling and shaking his rival's hand. Taking to his social media account on X (formerly Twitter), following a fierce competition, he congratulated Dobey with succinct praise: "Face said it all. Fair play, @Dobey180."

Dobey matched up victories with Littler after winning his third Players Championship event of the season. He sailed through to the final by handily defeating Daryl Gurney 7-1 in the semi-finals and then went on to secure a decisive 8-3 victory against Bunting, reports the Express.

Dobey's recent success keeps his hopes alive for entering the Players Championship Finals as the top seed in November. He commented post-match, saying: "Confidence is key. I have won a couple of Players Championships already before today, and I know where I am in the Players Championship standings."

"Once I saw I was in that number one spot, I set myself the target of being there at the end, and it has given me the motivation to get on the practice board and start performing like this on a regular basis."

Meanwhile, Luke Littler will be looking to claim his fourth ProTour event of the year come Thursday. His last Players' Championship triumph occurred last month, also taking place in Wigan.

Over the weekend, Littler is bracing for a tough challenge at the World Grand Prix as he prepares to take on fourth seed and former world champion Rob Cross in the initial stage. The distinct double-start tournament is set to unfold over seven days in Leicester, with Luke Humphries returning as the reigning champion.