Luke Littler is focused on defending his World Matchplay title in Blackpool, acknowledging he has a long way to go to be considered the "greatest ever" darts player. He advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating Nathan Aspinall 11-8, a match highlighted by Littler's sensational nine-dart finish in the opening leg. He also narrowly missed a second nine-darter, finishing with an impressive 113.68 average.

Littler's current reign includes the World Darts Championship, UK Open, Premier League, and Masters. To be the "greatest ever," he believes he would need to emulate Phil Taylor's record of 16 World Championship titles. Littler's performance in the Aspinall match, nearly achieving two nine-darters, drew praise from his opponent, who called it the greatest match of his career.

The World Matchplay continues with other notable matches, including Cameron Menzies vs. Ross Smith, Gerwyn Price vs. Rob Cross, Gian van Veen vs. Wessel Nijman, and James Wade vs. Ryan Searle.