Overview
- Luke Littler said a 5-5 comment from Ricardo Pietreczko surprised him and sharpened his resolve to close out their match.
- Littler beat Pietreczko 10-6 at the Players Championship Finals in the latest meeting between the pair.
- Pietreczko described the remark as light-hearted backstage banter and argued that media coverage inflated the episode.
- He reiterated that Littler "comes across a bit arrogant," pointing to an unconventional 121 checkout he nonetheless applauded.
- For the PDC World Darts Championship, Pietreczko opens against José de Sousa and views being drawn away from Littler and Luke Humphries as an advantage as he pursues the title.