Luke Littler’s has dismissed accusations of “cheating” levelled at his next opponent, Mensur Suljovic, following a recent row at the World Darts Championship.
The 18-year-old, chasing history and a chance to retain the Sid Waddell Trophy, has so far been drawn into matches played at a measured tempo, dispatching opponents who favour deliberation over drama.
That trend is unlikely to change when he meets Suljovic, a Serbian-born Austrian qualifier whose famously slow, ritualistic approach on the oche has long divided opinion.
Suljovic’s style, which involves repeatedly flicking the dart before release, has previously infuriated rivals.
Joe Cullen was visibly irritated after losing 3–1 to the veteran in the second round on Sunday and later vented his frustration online.
“The old guard will say it’s part of the game but word it how you will – it’s CHEATING! That’s not darts,” wrote the Bradford player, whose exit further thinned the field in Littler’s half of the draw.
Littler, however, took a markedly different view.
Mensur Suljovic was accused of cheating during his match with Joe Cullen at the World Darts Championship
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PA
Calm and pragmatic, the world No 1 rejected any suggestion that gamesmanship was involved.
“No, it’s not cheating. That’s just how he plays,” he said.
“I took a bit of notice of the match. Obviously Joe’s felt like he’s slowed it down. It’s not cheating. We all know he flicks his flight quite a few times before he throws. He’s doing it until he feels settled.”
Luke Littler has been in stunning form in 2025 | PA
Rather than bristle at the prospect of long pauses and broken rhythm, Littler appears prepared to adapt.
“And if he does it a bit longer against me, then I just have to wait for him and throw my darts,” he added. “If he tries anything to try and put me off or slow me down, then obviously I’ve got to be ready for it.”
That composure has served Littler well so far.ragraphs
His second-round win over David Davies took just 23 minutes, though his average of 97.15 was one of the rare occasions he dipped below three figures at Ally Pally, having previously brushed aside Darius Labanauskas.
Against Suljovic, the pace is expected to drop even further, with the third round moving to a best-of-seven-sets format.
Littler conceded that extended waits on stage are far from ideal.
Luke Littler has won 15 consecutive senior matches as he looks to retain his title at the World Darts Championship
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PA“Obviously, you don’t want to be stood there for long. You’re getting cold and you just want to get on with it,” he said.
“Mensur, he’s not going to change for anyone. He’s not going to change for me. He’s just going to do his job and wants to win. I want to win. Hopefully we can have a good game.”
There was even room for levity. Littler admitted he is a fan of Suljovic’s walk-on music, Tina Turner’s (Simply) The Best, calling it “one of the good ones”, while noting that the match will be their first since he joined the professional tour.
The encounter has carried an air of inevitability since Suljovic contacted Littler on Instagram after the draw was made last month, predicting they would meet.
“He said something like, kind regards or good luck, see you in round three,” Littler recalled. “And yeah, it’s happened.”
Elsewhere, the tournament landscape shifted dramatically over the weekend. Cullen’s exit, followed by Gerwyn Price’s shock 3–0 defeat to world No 92 Wesley Plaisier, removed two potential stumbling blocks from Littler’s route as he looks to make more history at Ally Pally.
