MERCILESS Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler dismantled James Wade to reach the Winmau World Masters quarter-finals.
The Warrington 18-year-old won every leg to run out triumphant 4-0 in sets in what was a walloping of the highest order at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes on Saturday night.
Wade, 10-time TV title winner, looked beaten from the start as he came up against the world champion in imperious form.
He did not even get to attempt a throw at double in any of the eight legs.
Electrifying Littler comfortably held throw to go 1-0 ahead.
A 90-checkout with a bull finish allowed ‘The Nuke’ to take the second leg and the first set, with the Aldershot 41-year-old finding him too hot to handle.
Littler missed the bull for a 164 finish but he sealed his third successive leg on the next visit, after Wade fluffed his checkout attempt.
And it almost looked routine as the teenager made perfect use again of having the arrows in his favour to wrap up the second set.
A 13-darter, while averaging 103 for the match so far, made it five legs in a row for the world world number two.
A break of throw moved the second seed 3-0 ahead in sets.
Five perfect arrows were thrown en route to ripping apart Wade’s leg with the darts, to leave Littler one leg away from the match.
He set himself up for a ‘big fish’ 170 finish but was just off target with the bull and had to come back to the oche to complete the mission.
Littler concluded matters with a 105.47 average, 50 per cent success on the doubles.
He will return to the stage for the quarter-finals on Sunday afternoon.
