Luke Littler reveals plan to deal with darts rival after ‘cheating’ claim

Luke Littler will take on Mensur Suljovic in the third round of the World Darts Championship

Luke Littler faces the challenge of taking on renowned slow player Mensur Suljovic in the next round of the World Darts Championship (Action Images via Reuters)

Luke Littler, the world number one, is bracing himself for a unique challenge at the World Championship as he prepares to face Mensur Suljovic, a player renowned for his deliberate, slow pace.

Having comfortably secured his spot in the third round with a dominant 3-0 victory over David Davies, Littler now confronts a tactical battle that could test his composure and rhythm on the oche.

The path to this encounter was paved with drama, as Suljovic overcame Joe Cullen 3-1 in a tense affair that saw Cullen accuse his Austrian opponent of "cheating" due to his notoriously slow play.

This reputation precedes Suljovic, who is widely expected to further decrease his speed in an attempt to unsettle the rapid-fire Littler.

Luke Littler, left, is safely through to the third round (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

Despite admitting a preference for faster opponents, the teenage sensation appears unfazed by the prospect of Suljovic's "dark arts."

Littler acknowledged the impending tactical duel, stating: "It’s Mensur in my way now. As a player, you’ve just got to face what’s in front of you. You’ve got to face the challenges of what the player’s going to do."

He added, "There was a lot of talk about Mensur throwing slow. I’ve just got to be ready for it and see what happens."

Littler understands the impact of such tactics on players accustomed to a quicker tempo.

"For myself and a lot of other players, we have fast throws. You don’t want to be stood there for as long. Because you’re getting cold and you just want to get on with it."

However, he remains pragmatic about Suljovic’s approach: "But, if you start off darts slow like Mensur, he’s not going to change for anyone. He’s not going to change for me. He’s just going to do his job and he wants to win. I want to win."

Addressing Cullen’s strong reaction, Littler dismissed the notion of cheating.

"Joe’s felt like he’s slowed it down. It’s not cheating," he clarified. He explained Suljovic’s method: "It’s just for Mensur, obviously he flicks his flight and obviously he’s doing it until he feels settled. And if he does it, obviously, a bit longer against me, then I just have to wait for him and throw my darts."

Mensur Suljovic was accused of ‘cheating’ by Joe Cullen on Sunday (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

Intriguingly, the Austrian had predicted this very match-up back in November, sending Littler a message on Instagram.

Littler recounted the exchange: "He said something like, ‘kind regards, good luck, see you in round three’ or something. And yeah, it’s happened and like I said, hopefully we can have a good game."

As the darts world watches, Littler is poised to navigate not just his opponent's skill, but also his unique psychological game.