Luke Littler missed Wednesday’s Players Championship event in Wigan after a traffic jam caused him to be late for registration.
It is understood the 18-year-old was stuck in road congestion and did not arrive in time for the strict 11am deadline. The reigning world champion has already qualified for next month’s finals in Minehead, after winning Players Championship 32 earlier this month.
Littler appeared to take the setback in stride, sharing a picture from inside the car to his Instagram story alongside the caption “back to bed it is, wonder who they’re going to call up?” Subsequent posts suggested that the world No 2 opted for a Chinese meal rather than catching up on sleep.
Littler’s place in the draw was taken by Charlie Manby, who went on to beat former world champion Rob Cross in another last-leg decider. It was also a disappointing afternoon for the world No 1, Luke Humphries, as he was edged out 6-5 in the first round by outsider Adam Warner.
Nathan Aspinall and Damon Heta both hit nine-dart finishes in their respective first-round wins over Ian White and George Killington.
Elsewhere, the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has announced an extension to their broadcast contract with ITV until at least 2028. The deal will keep a number of PDC events on free-to-air TV, including the Players Championship Finals.
The World Masters, UK Open, European Championship and World Series of Darts will also be broadcast on ITV4 and ITVX. “We are delighted to continue our long-standing relationship with ITV, with the new deal set to take our partnership beyond 20 years,” said the PDC chief executive, Matt Porter.
