Luke Littler’s aspirations of securing a place in the November Players Championship finals suffered a setback following a quarter-final loss to Jermaine Wattimena at PC27 in Leicester.
Competing in his first Pro Tour event of 2026, Littler was pushed to a last-leg decider, where the Dutchman sealed the match with a 115 checkout, claiming his first win over Littler in six PDC tour encounters.
Despite the defeat, the 19-year-old remained optimistic, sharing an “on the move” update on Instagram.
Securing qualification for the November finals is a key objective for Littler as he pursues a calendar sweep of ranking events in 2026.
The top 64 players on the Players Championship order of merit earn spots at the Minehead finals in November. After skipping the first 26 events of the circuit, Littler currently sits in 141st place, despite earning £4,000 on Tuesday.
Seven Players Championship events remain for Littler—known as “The Nuke”—to break into the top 64, including one held at the same Leicester venue on Wednesday.
However, having previously indicated his intention to compete only in UK-based events, he will likely have just three remaining opportunities to climb the rankings.
Littler currently trails 64th-placed Mario Vandenbogaerde by £22,250. A tournament victory is worth £15,000, while the runner-up receives £10,000.
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