Luke Littler's quest for a historic PDC clean sweep hit a setback with a quarter-final loss to Jermaine Wattimena at Players Championship 27 in Leicester. Littler, who had won all six major titles in 2026, fell 6-5 in a deciding leg. He had earlier beaten Archie Self, Arno Merk, and William O'Connor, then thrashed Chris Dobey 6-0 before the defeat.

Wattimena went on to claim the title, defeating Kevin Doets 8-6 in the final. The Dutchman's run included a dramatic semi-final comeback against Luke Woodhouse, reeling off six straight legs from 4-1 down with five ton-plus finishes. He also edged out Littler in a tense last-leg decider, sealing victory with a 115 checkout.

Littler's early exit complicates his qualification for the Players Championship Finals, as only the top 64 in the Order of Merit advance. Having skipped the first 26 events, he needs strong results in the remaining seven floor tournaments. His quarter-final run earned £4,000, leaving him with work to do ahead of the November finals in Minehead.

Wattimena's victory marked his third PDC ranking title and lifted him into the world's top 16. He credited his performance against Littler and Woodhouse for boosting his confidence, saying he played well even in tough moments. The win solidifies his position as a contender for upcoming events.