Luke Littler rejected Stephen Bunting request before World Championship clash | Other | Sport
Luke Littler turned down the chance to practice with Stephen Bunting before the World Championship – and now the two will meet in a semi-final clash tonight.
It will be ‘The Nuke’ against ‘The Bullet’ at Ally Pally after both players came through their quarter-finals on Wednesday, Littler beating Nathan Aspinall while Bunting prevailed against Peter Wright.
It will be a second straight final-four match at Ally Pally for Littler, while Bunting has now matched his previous best effort at the tournament in 2021.
The avid Liverpool fan has recently been practicing with 2024 champion Luke Humphries, and last month also implied he would be seeking Littler out for sessions before this tournament.
However, after his win over Wright, the 39-year-old revealed he had been snubbed by the teenager. “No, he didn’t ring me,” Bunting joked, when asked if Littler had been in contact.
“I think Luke is obviously set in his own ways. His dad did speak to me about practise and stuff, but for one thing, going another, it just didn’t happen. I’m sure we’ll practise in the coming future, but yeah, it just didn’t happen leading up to this.
“But like I said, I’ve got a lot of respect for his family, for everything he’s done for our sport. He’s elevated it to another level. I’ve got to turn up and make sure that I’m the best version of myself.”
Bunting, however, insisted there were no hard feelings as he prepares to face Littler for just the second time. “I’m sure we’ll practise in the coming future, but yeah, it just didn’t happen leading up to this,” he said.
“But like I said, I’ve got a lot of respect for his family, for everything he’s done for our sport. He’s elevated it to another level. I’ve got to turn up and make sure that I’m the best version of myself.”
For his part, Littler denied he had disrespected his upcoming opponent. In his post-match press conference after beating Aspinall, the tournament favourite said he simply wanted to do his own preparation.
“I know he practised with Luke Humphries,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I ignored him, I just wanted to do my own practice at home.”
Earlier this year, Littler dubiously claimed he only spent about 20 minutes a day on the practice board. And he said he regularly combines his time on the dartboard with playing Xbox and spending time with his friends.
