LUK'S OUT
Luke Littler appears to turn back on Damon Heta after being knocked OUT of UK Open darts in sensational quarter-final
Littler almost mounted stunning comeback before major mistake
LUKE LITTLER crashed out of the UK Open after being beaten by Damon Heta in a sensational quarter-final battle.
The British ace lost 10-8 as he missed out on a place in tonight's Minehead semis and final - worth a cool £110,000.
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But Littler appeared to briefly turn his back on Heta as he celebrated before the darts game ended in a discussion between the pair.
The two men went blow for blow in the early stages, matching each other up until 4-4.
Both players averaged over 120 at one stage and the first five legs only took SEVEN minutes
But Heta turned on the gas as he won the next four legs, racing into an 8-4 lead.
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Littler managed to make it 9-8 as he attempted an astonishing comeback.
However, he missed several checkouts while also raging over a dart that failed to land - punching the air in anger.
And the opportunity finally fell for Heta to complete the job and seal his place in the UK Open semis.
However, Littler appeared to ignore the Aussie as he celebrated his victory and instead focused on packing up his darts.
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Littler eventually turned round after being approached by his opponent and gave him a warm handshake and a smile.
And the two engaged in a relatively lengthy conversation before heading off the stage in a sign there was no bad feeling.
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Littler went on Instagram afterwards and revealed how much he enjoyed the game, despite losing.
He posted: “Disappointed to not make it past the quarters but it was a great game with Damon. Enjoying my darts and just grateful for everything.”
But fans still reacted to the apparent incident, with one saying: “What a game from both but Littler needs to sort his attitude out when he loses.”
Another declared: “Littler needs to show a bit more humility in defeat, literally not even acknowledging Heta until he came over.”
One noted: “Littler turning his back on his opponent every time he loses isn’t a great look.”
Speaking after the win, Heta said: "I was up for it, sometimes I feel like that in my practice as well so I know the feeling.
"To come up against Luke Littler, who has taken the media by storm and darts by storm - I love him to bits and it's a massive boost to darts.
"I know what I'm up against with these Premier League players, these are guys I need to beat and if I keep doing this regularly, who knows, maybe I'll be a top player one day!
"I've got the game [to win the tournament], I've shown in previous results, so there's no reason I can't get the job done."
Former world champ Mark Webster added: “It’s one of the best games I’ve ever seen. They were at it from the off.
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“Damon, credit to him, he wouldn’t have felt great when he missed the match darts. He deserved to win that match.
“The 11th leg was the turning point for Heta with missed doubles from Luke. He took too long. We never see Luke take his time."
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