Phil Taylor Sends Instant Message to Luke Littler After World Championship Win

Phil Taylor has sent a message to Luke Littler after the 18-year-old won his second World Darts Championship.

Littler defeated Gian van Veen 7-1 at Alexandra Palace on Saturday night to become the fourth player to win back-to-back PDC world titles.

Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson - the latter of whom reached the semi-finals this year - are the other three players to achieve the feat.

It was a phenomenal performance from Littler, who had lost the first set and went 2-0 down in legs in the second.

But after levelling at 1-1, 'The Nuke' never looked back, combining relentless scoring power with consistent accuracy on the doubles.

His 106.02 overall average is the sixth-highest in the history of the PDC World Championship.

Minutes after the final ended, 16-time world champion Taylor sent a message to Littler via his official Twitter account.

"Huge congratulations to Luke Littler," he wrote. "Well done buddy you played brilliant."

Littler's performance was one that resembled Taylor at his dominating peak, with the 18-year-old simply in a class of his own on the Ally Pally stage.

Out of Littler's current challengers, perhaps only Michael van Gerwen can say he sustained a similar level over a consistent period of time.

Raymond van Barneveld, who defeated Taylor in a last-leg decider in the 2007 World Championship final, says only four players ever played their 'A-game' against 'The Power' - and thinks he would emerge on top against Littler if he had played against him in his prime.

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"In their primes, I still think Taylor wins," Van Barneveld told The Sun last month.

"Because Luke likes to play in a certain rhythm, and Phil always controlled the pace himself.

"I don't think many players played their A-game against him. Apart from Van Gerwen, maybe Anderson or Rob Cross when he beat Phil in the final, maybe me.

"I think Phil in his prime and Luke in his prime, it's so hard to compare, but I'd still say Phil Taylor.

"Luke Littler is the best at the moment, the best player."