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Michael van Gerwen said Luke Littler is “not a baby anymore” and “needs to learn” after the world champion turned up late for a Premier League photoshoot in Belfast.
Littler had overslept during a morning nap and kept Van Gerwen and the six other competitors waiting at the media launch of the new campaign, which kicks off in Northern Ireland on Thursday.
The pair renew their rivalry on the opening night, when Littler will hope his darts can do the talking again, a month on from destroying the Dutchman in the World Championship final at Alexandra Palace.
Van Gerwen increased the tension ahead of the opener by saying in a press conference: “They need to stop treating him as a baby. He’s not a baby anymore, he’s 18-years-old.
“It happens. He has to learn. You have to learn the hard way. It’s a professional sport so you have to be responsible for your actions, simple as that.
“If he turns up late for an interview, I don’t really mind. But seven other people were waiting for him, that’s not really nice. But it is what it is.”
Littler laughed off the comments but knows Van Gerwen will have the bit between his teeth.
“He’s going to be up for it, he’s going to be hungry but I’m up for it as the reigning champion. Whoever wins, it will be big for us,” he said.
“This is the biggest tournament I am going to defend all year around until the Worlds. Tomorrow night is so important to get that first win against Michael.
“I’m feeling OK, I might feel nervous when it does come to the task tomorrow, but there is always nerves, but I’m hoping to make a fast start like I did in the final.
“The first win last year came here in Belfast, so I have got good memories here and I want to kick on.”
World number one Luke Humphries comes into the tournament in good form, having won the rebranded World Masters last week.
Humphries, who begins against Nathan Aspinall, wants to complete the set, having also won the World Championship and World Matchplay.
“It’s one you want to tick off, it is one of those majors you want to win because it is so prestigious,” he said.
“It is so hard to win, it could arguably be harder than any other major because you can’t win it in one day, it takes three months.
“It would be nice to complete the set, the Worlds, the Matchplay and this. This is the biggest one I haven’t got at the moment. It would be nice to be in the club.”
In the other nightly quarter-finals, Chris Dobey opens the show against Gerwyn Price, while Stephen Bunting takes on Rob Cross.
