Luke Littler is the world number two
Luke Littler, the reigning world champion, was reportedly denied entry to Wednesday’s Players Championship 33 event after arriving late due to traffic congestion caused by a serious incident.
The 18-year-old darting sensation was scheduled to participate in the penultimate Players Championship event of 2025, held at Wigan’s Robin Park Leisure Centre.
However, Littler was forced to withdraw after missing the 11:00 GMT registration deadline for players.
Reports later indicated that a fatality had occurred in an incident on the M6 motorway, contributing to the delays.
Littler acknowledged the situation on Instagram, stating: “Missed registration today for the pro tour, but someone sadly lost their life. Thinking of everyone.”
Charlie Manby, ranked 174th in the PDC’s order of merit, replaced Littler. Manby secured a notable 6-5 victory over 2018 world champion Rob Cross before being eliminated in the second round.
Chris Dobey of England emerged victorious at the event, defeating Ireland’s William O’Connor 8-6 in the final. This win propelled Dobey past Cross to eighth in the order of merit.
Littler retains the opportunity to compete in event 34, the final tournament of the year, scheduled for Thursday at the same venue.
The top 64 players in the Players Championship rankings will qualify for the finals, set to take place in Minehead, Somerset, from November 21-23.
Littler, who was a runner-up at the 2024 finals, secured his first Players Championship event victory of 2025 at event 32 earlier this month, guaranteeing his spot at the finals.
Michael van Gerwen, the three-time world champion and world number three, will be absent from this week’s events due to a family holiday.
Consequently, as he is currently outside the top 64 in the Players Championship rankings, the Dutch player will miss the finals for the first time.
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