DARTS fans preparing for the World Championship final got a rare treat – one that is usually hidden from viewers.
Sky Sports showed Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler in a closest-to-the-bull battle to see who would throw first.
And the set-up was not what they expected.
Away from the glamour of the Ally Pally oche, it was a behind-the-scenes shoot-out.
Van Gerwen was nearest to the centre – meaning he’d have the first throw in the main event.
The pair looked intense – not surprisingly – but there was time for the now-popular fistbump.
Not that it helped him much – as the Nuke immediately broke him.
Littler, 17, is aiming to become by far the youngest man to lift the title.
And it’s MVG who stood in his way of both that record and Ally Pally final glory.
The Dutchman won the first of his three world crowns in 2014 aged 24.
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Littler quickly took a scrappy first set, then doubled his lead.
And with fans having seen the finalists behind the scenes in their bull play-off, some reckoned that pressure was all too clear once the real stuff got under way.
One said of the opening sets: “Both players seem very tense. Understandably so.”
And Van Gerwen would surely be inspired if he somehow saw one of the early comments.
A fan wrote: “Game over already folks, losing throw first set against someone as good as Littler.”
You can follow the final on our incredible blog HERE
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