Luke Littler wins second successive World Championship title

The 18-year-old joins Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson in winning successive crowns and he is the new king of Alexandra Palace.

Littler burst onto the scene with an epic debut run to the final two years ago and has not lost on that stage since after a masterful 7-1 win over Van Veen, which earned him a record £1million prize cheque.

With an average of almost 106, 15 maximums and a ‘Big Fish’ 170 checkout, this was one of the great final performances.

He has been a tour de force over the last year, winning five of the last six major tournaments, and looks set for an era-defining period of domination similar to what Taylor enjoyed.

Littler’s biggest obstacle in his bid for a second successive World Championship title was the return of the Ally Pally wasp.

The flying insect was the pest of the first week of the tournament, but has been absent over recent days.

However, it was back with a vengeance on Saturday night as it made a beeline for Littler during the fifth set of his final with Gian van Veen.

The teenager was flying towards back-to-back titles when it disrupted his throw.

The wasp flew around both players and referee George Noble before eventually being wafted away.

Littler was briefly distracted, but recovered his composure to seal a fourth set on the bounce and take a 4-1 lead.

The wasp’s presence has been a big talking point throughout the tournament.