Something that has stood out since Littler’s rise to fame is his confidence even in the most stressful moments, which was more evident than ever during his second world final.
While Ally Pally panicked in the moments leading up to these meetings, Littler was the epitome of calm.
There was no crazy energy or desire to get on stage and continue as he stopped and shook hands with a few fans wearing his shirt before finally marching up the steps towards the oche.
Remarkably, however, the new world number two looked even more at ease once the action began.
The stoppage in the first game, prompting a huge roar from the crowd, undoubtedly helped, but the way he demolished Van Gerwen in the first four sets was nothing short of spectacular.
“Tonight and throughout the tournament I just had to start fast,” Littler told Sky Sports.
“I watched the whole match against Luke earlier today [Humphries, in last year’s final] and I had visions.”
Whatever these visions were, even in his wildest dreams he could not have expected that he would start the match so phenomenally and lead 4-0 after losing only three games.
It is often said that younger athletes do not experience the same fear that can hold back their older counterparts, but the trade-off is a short-temperedness that leads to mistakes or at least some degree of inconsistency.
But nothing came of it. His scoring was as relentless as ever and for a while it seemed he simply couldn’t miss his favorite double 10.
Instead of a young upstart, it was a 35-year-old former champion and sports legend forced to make costly mistakes.
Van Gerwen’s disbelief at what was happening was matched only by the audience, who quickly realized that they might not be watching a thriller, but watching a masterclass could be just as fun.
“It’s almost like the cat playing with the mouse from Luke Littler, do [Michael van Gerwen] think he can handle it, then hit him in a 180 and get to the finish line first,” said John Part, three-time world champion, on Sky Sports.
“It’s a cruel thing.”
