Luke Littler hits stunning nine-darter in opening leg of Bahrain Masters quarter-final, he's incredible

Luke Littler scored an incredible nine-darter in the opening leg of his Bahrain Masters quarter-final match against Nathan Aspinall.

Littler, 16, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the summit of the sport after reaching the final of the World Darts Championship earlier this month.

While he fell at the final hurdle, losing to world No 1 Luke Humphries, he captured the imagination of the country - becoming a household name in the process.

Littler made his eagerly-anticipated return to the oche at the Bahrain Masters on Thursday, beating Hong Kong's Man Lok Leung 6-3 in his opening match.

He took on fellow Englishman Aspinall in their quarter-final on Friday and began the match in sensational fashion, completing one of the hardest tasks in sport - the nine-darter.

Littler took out 141 with his final three darts, finishing on double 12 to send the crowd into a frenzy. Check out the incredible moment below.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!

Luke Littler has just hit a nine-darter at #BahrainDarts24! 🔥@ITVX pic.twitter.com/iemDkJPrpZ

— ITV Sport (@ITVSport) January 19, 2024

The usually calm and composed Littler was unable to contain his emotions, bursting into a huge celebration in front of his supporters in the crowd.

Aspinall was quick to applaud the youngster and shared a hug with him after the special moment.

It is only the second time a perfect leg has been thrown in the World Series, the first coming from the legendary Phil Taylor.

And at two days short of his 17th birthday, Littler is the youngest player ever to hit a televised nine-darter.

Littler would go on to claim a 6-3 victory over Aspinall and will now face Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals.

It is not the first time Littler has hit a nine-darter.

He achieved the feat as 14-year-old during a victory over Tinus van Tiel at the JDC MVG Masters three years ago.

Littler hit a 174 and 177 before converting a 150 checkout as his Dutch opponent watched on in disbelief.

Speaking after his latest nine-darter, Littler set his sights on registering more in the professional ranks.

"It's just good to get one on TV. The first one of the year goes to me," Littler told ITV.

"Hopefully I'll hit a few more!"