Luke Littler had some choice words for a group of hecklers that tried and failed to put him off during his Australian Darts Masters triumph over the weekend.
World champion Littler added another title to his growing list with an 8-4 victory over Mike De Decker in the final.
A year after finishing runner-up following an 8-1 humbling by Gerwyn Price, the reigning world champion and World Matchplay winner had too much for the Belgian debutant.
The 18-year-old had to deal with jeers from the crowd throughout the tournament but it certainly did not impact his performance.
Speaking in the wake of his victory, he said: ‘there was a group to my right… every time I didn’t hit a treble they were shouting ‘rubbish, rubbish’.
‘Someone even said I was washed. Not sure what he meant, obviously I’m ‘washed’ but I just won. The darts did the talking.’
Luke Littler hit back at the hecklers after winning the Australian Darts Masters on Saturday
World champion Littler added another title to his growing list with victory in Wollongong
The darts sensation then went on to explain how he handles negative crowd reactions when they come.
‘The first time I hear it, I’ll react, but then I let it go,’ he said. I just focus on my darts and let them do the talking.
‘Nobody has taught me how to deal with it. You’re on stage alone, nobody else can help you. You just get on with it.’
Littler swept aside home favourite Damon Heta 6-3 in the last eight and top seed Stephen Bunting 7-4 in the semis.
‘He needs to retire because it’s not fun any more,’ De Decker joked after the defeat.
