Luke Littler was overcome with emotion after beating Ryan Meikle due to nerves, the darts sensation has admitted.

The talented teenager, 17, at Ally Pally. But last year's finalist became tearful after the match during his on stage interview with Sky Sports reporter Abigail Davies.

“I started off dead slow…”, said before breaking down. He was then serenaded by the raucous Ally Pally crowd before being comforted by his mother, Lisa, in the crowd.

After composing himself, Littler said: “That was the toughest game I have played. I had to fight until the end. It is good to be back. It is the worst game I have played. Maybe as nervy as I had in my first game of the .

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“My bottom went a bit nervous on that stage at the start. After the first question, the tears came. I thought to myself: What am I doing? It was a bit too much to speak on stage.”

Littler, who recorded averaged a remarkable 140.91 during the fourth and final set, echoed similar sentiments in a separate interview shortly after. He said: “It was the toughest game I’ve played and I had to fight to the end. I knew I had the game, but I had to find it somewhere and fortunately I managed to find it.

“I felt fine in the hours before I played, but as soon as George (referee George Noble) said ‘Game on,’ I was so nervous and I thought, ‘What are you doing?’

“My average in the last set is probably going to be in the headlines already but all that matters to me is the win.”

Littler will return to action after after beating Meikle, who beat Fallock Sherron in the first round earlier this week to book a showdown with darts' new poster boy.

Littler captured the attention of the nation last year when he embarked on a marauding run to the tournaments final before falling at the final hurdle against World No.1 Luke Humphries.

He extracted a measure of revenge against Humphries by winning the Darts Premier League after being invited to compete in the all-star competition to cap a fine 2024.