Luke Littler produced form close to his sensational best to overpower Michael van Gerwen and win his third Premier League night of the season in Berlin.
The 19-year-old beat the previous highest average (now 108.58) in Berlin in his semi-final victory over Gerwyn Price, but it was the final where he really turned it on.
He raced into a 3-0 lead but was pegged back to all square by the seven-time Premier League winner Van Gerwen.
Littler held in leg seven before a stunning 170 checkout – deliberately left with a single on his previous visit – saw him move to within one leg of victory.
He had the throw in the ninth but 36-year-old Van Gerwen broke back and the final looked destined for a final-leg decider.
However, world number one Littler found an extra gear, producing another brilliant 170 checkout to seal his third night win in the past four weeks.
Van Gerwen, who had not won a match since week two before this event, must wonder what it is about Littler, after the world champion also hit the maximum checkout against the Dutchman in Dublin last week.
The victory sees Littler climb to the top of the Premier League standings at the halfway point of the season.
It continues a resurgence from the 2024 winner, who sat seventh after the opening four weeks of the campaign.
“This is definitely the best I’ve played in a night,” Littler told Sky Sports.
Littler spoke last week about chasing down Jonny Clayton at the top of the standings and, with that now achieved, he may well set his eyes on matching or beating the record for the most nightly wins that he set last year with six.
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