Luke Littler immediately apologises for cheeky joke about Stephen Bunting

Luke Littler made a cheeky joke about Stephen Bunting before immediately apologising after his third round World Darts Championship victory.

Littler remained on course to become the first player to defend a World Championship crown in a decade when he cruised into the fourth round on Saturday night, hammering Mensur Suljovic 4-0.

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He produced his highest-ever average at Alexandra Palace and had a 71 per cent success rate on the double – stats that would have alarmed the rest of the field.

Another big contender crashed out of the tournament just moments before he took to the Ally Pally stage.

Fan favourite, and fourth seed, Stephen Bunting was beaten by James Hurrell in a shock early exit.

The teenager couldn’t resist a cheeky joke at his expense when asked about the Littler effect.

“The Luke Littler effect is still going strong. I don’t think the Bunting effect is going too well this tournament,” Littler said in his post-match press conference. “So yeah, maybe I’ve got the biggest fan base.

“I had to say that, sorry!”

Practice makes perfect

Littler knew he was in the mood to do some damage in his third round after hitting the boards backstage at the Ally Pally.

Littler told talkSPORT: “I felt very good. Even while practicing. You go to the venue, I’ve had a few pre-match interviews, but my first 9 or 12 darts, I didn’t miss. 140, 140, 180, 180. 

“Then I said to my family, I’m ready, and then I lost the bull.

“But just through the night practicing, I just couldn’t miss a thing.

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“Usually when that happens, you go up on stage and you don’t play as well. But I just said to myself, just try and get yourself into a rhythm with Mensur, and that’s what I’ve done, didn’t throw as quick tonight.”

All the talk is about if Littler can be the first person to go back-to-back at the Worlds since Gary Anderson in 2016.

“Obviously, I’ve not played my greatest dart in the first two rounds, but I just got past them two and come back after Christmas. 

“After Christmas, we pack enough clothes for a week, because if we go to the final, we go to the final. We book a house for a week as well. 

“A lot more 180s tonight, I didn’t hit many in Round One and Two. But the performance is there and I know I can do it again.”

Nine darter

No one has hit a nine-darter at the World Championships so far this year and Littler firmly has it in his sights.

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“I must have gone back-to-back like seven, eight times or something like that and not to go on stage and do it. It’s a bit annoying as a player because you know you can go back to back and have a shot at it. 

“But we’ll have a look next round.”

Littler will face the winner of Damon Heta and Rob Cross in the last-16.