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26 minutes ago
Ryan Meikle says he will feel “honoured” to be sharing the stage with teenage sensation Luke Litter when the two meet in the second round of the PDC World Darts Championship on Saturday.
Suffolk thrower Meikle, nicknamed ‘The Barber’ after the profession he still does part-time, beat Fallon Sherrock 3-2 in the first round at Alexandra Palace to earn his shot at 17-year-old Littler, last year’s runner-up.
“I’m excited. I’m looking at it as a positive thing. The chance to play the boy who everyone’s talking about,” Meikle, 28, told BBC Radio Suffolk.
“I’m not going to sit here and say yeah I can win – obviously I’ve got a chance – but I’m excited and looking forward to it.”
Meikle described his match with Sherrock – the first woman to win at the tournament in 2019 – as “a battle” after coming back from a set down to claim the decider.
With the crowd largely supporting Sherrock, Meikle said he had to do his best to “zone out” from all the cheering for his opponent.
“You expect it,” he said. “The crowd wanted Fallon to win, with what she’s done for the ladies side of darts, so I knew what to expect.
“It’s not nice [the booing] but you sort of zone out and concentrate.
“I played Lisa Ashton two years ago in the first round so I had some experience of playing a woman on the big stage.”
Miekle plans to head home to Leiston in Suffolk and go back to work for a couple of days before returning to London on Friday in preparation for his showdown with Littler.
“I like to go home and keep busy and my mind off it and then I’ll just prepare for Saturday,” he said.
“I love it and embrace it. I’m just a normal lad – it doesn’t really feel real. I just try to enjoy it and take it in my stride.”
This year is Meikle’s fifth appearance at the World Championship and he has reached second round for the third time in a row.
To make the third round for the first time, he has to beat the player who has supercharged the profile of the sport with his meteoric rise over the last 12 months.
After losing the final to Luke Humphries on his debut in 2023, Littler has won three PDC finals this year, was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and runner-up in the main award on Tuesday.
Meikle knows Littler will be the heavy favourite and is viewing the match as his ‘cup final’.
“100% – there’ll be millions tuning in just to watch his game and I’m going to be a part of it,” he said. “I’m going to feel honoured just to be up there with him.
“Obviously I need to play a lot better than I did [in the first round] but being up there once now – the first round is always the hardest – hopefully I’ll relax a bit more and play my best game.
“I’m living the dream and it’s the most amazing feeling.”
