February 8th 2024.
On Thursday night, the highly anticipated rematch between Luke Littler and Rob Cross will take place in the Premier League. This comes after their thrilling semi-final clash at the World Championship last month, where Littler emerged victorious with a 6-2 win and went on to face Luke Humphries in the final.
Last week, Littler got the better of Cross once again in the quarter-finals of the Premier League. But Cross is determined to turn the tables this time around and exact revenge on his opponent. "Luke is an incredible talent, but I still want to beat him," Cross stated ahead of their match in Berlin.
He added, "I don't think any of us more experienced players, like myself, Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price, or Peter Wright, see him as just a 17-year-old. We see him as a tough opponent that we have to beat on the stage. He carries himself with such professionalism and poise, it's hard to believe he's only a teenager in the sport."
Both Cross and Littler fell short in last week's semi-finals, with Cross losing to Price and Littler to eventual winner Michael Smith. This week, they will face off in the quarter-finals, while Smith and Price will meet in the quarters after facing each other in the final last week.
Reflecting on his win in Cardiff, Smith commented, "Winning is always a great feeling, no matter what. I know there are still areas of my game that I need to work on, but to come away with five points on the opening night is a good start."
He continued, "I made a statement that I know how to win, even when I'm not at my best. I have the ability to hit crucial shots and bring everything together when it matters. I have a good momentum going into the second night, and there's no pressure on me to chase points."
Meanwhile, Peter Wright is looking to find his form again as he takes on world champion Humphries on Thursday. "I could have easily retired after the World Championship," Wright admitted, referencing his disappointing performance last week where he averaged only 83.78 in his loss to Cross.
"But I still have that hunger and determination to succeed. I'm not giving up, and I know I have a lot to achieve this year. Despite my poor performance last week, I was just really nervous and trying out some new things. But I have a lot of respect for Luke and the hard work he puts in. His dedication is an inspiration for other players," he said.
Defending champion Michael van Gerwen is also facing some struggles with consistency as he lost his opener to Smith last week. Although he reached the final of the Masters, he fell short against Stephen Bunting. "There's a lot more to come from me," van Gerwen promised. "I was a bit shaky throughout the game against Michael [Smith], and that's just not acceptable for me. I know I can do much better."
As the second night of the Premier League approaches, the quarter-finals will see Nathan Aspinall take on van Gerwen, Smith facing Price, Littler against Cross, and Humphries against Wright. The semi-finals will then see the winners of these matches face each other for a spot in the final.
In other news, Nathan Aspinall recently spoke out against the "disgusting" abuse he has received amid his struggles with form. And Smith credits some of his success on the first night to the attention surrounding Littler, saying it helped him stay focused and motivated.
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