Luke Littler’s opponent speaks out after footage of him being ‘rattled’ by 17-year-old goes viral
Luke Littler's opponent has spoken out after the two appeared to have a tense moment at the Belgian Darts Open.
Ricardo Pietreczko lost out to the 17-year-old during their semi-final showdown, with a final score of 7-3.
After their match, cameras seemed to catch the moment that the German player had a stern word with the young star.
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The 29-year-old was seen storming over to Littler and giving him an earful.
On Facebook, the Warrington born player admitted he had no idea what caused the stand-off.
Commenting in a Facebook group, Littler said: "No idea what I did wrong, no idea what he said, he said something then said 'Don't do it again'."
🗣️ "I hope the arrogance punishes him"
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) March 11, 2024
Luke Littler's Belgian Darts Open semi-final opponent Ricardo Pietreczko was not happy with the 17-year-old following his defeat 🗯️ pic.twitter.com/ehJxcQJOF6
When Pietreczko broke his silence, it wasn't exactly an apology.
He wrote on Instagram: "So I really appreciated the fact that you can play a game like that at such an age.
"But I hope the arrogance punishes him."
Ouch.
Littler went on to win, as he beat Rob Cross 8-7 in the final and scooped the £30,000 cash prize.
Reflecting on the nail biting contest, Littler said: "I'm just glad to get over the line.
"I lost the two legs after I hit the nine so I'm relieved to get the win.
"It's always good to be involved in a good game; me and Rob have battles and we bring the best out of each other.
"I'm really happy to hit a nine-darter, I prefer 144 to 141 to finish a nine because when the first treble 20 goes in I'm confident of following it with another.
"I know the spotlight is on me because I've done so well but I just play my darts and get on with it. I just do what I do."
Even in defeat, Cross was complimentary about Littler.
He said: "I wanted a big display and I got a big display.
"I missed a few chances but I can't be bitter about them.
"Luke is special, he has such a bright future in front of him; the nine was amazing.
"I've loved playing in front of this crowd, I've really enjoyed my weekend here."
The PDC European tour season will continue later this month, with the German Darts Grand Prix taking place in Munich.
That contest will see 48 players compete across three days, from March 30 to April 1.
LADbible has contacted Luke Littler and Ricardo Pietreczko for comment.
Topics: Luke Littler, Sport
Ben Thompson