Ryan Meikle Expresses Honor Ahead of Match with Luke Littler

Ryan Meikle secured a second-round encounter with Luke Littler following his 3-2 victory against Fallon Sherrock. Meikle stated he anticipates feeling “honoured” to compete against the teenage sensation, Luke Littler, during their second-round match at the PDC World Darts Championship on Saturday. The Suffolk-based thrower, known as ‘The Barber’ due to his part-time profession, defeated Fallon Sherrock 3-2 in the first round at Alexandra Palace, thereby earning the opportunity to face 17-year-old Littler, who was last year’s runner-up. Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, the 28-year-old Meikle expressed his anticipation, saying, “I’m excited. I’m looking at it as a positive thing. The chance to play the boy who everyone’s talking about.” He further added, “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 characterized his encounter with Sherrock, who made history as the first woman to secure a victory at the tournament in 2019, as “a battle.” This assessment came after he recovered from being a set down to win the deciding leg. Given that the audience predominantly cheered for Sherrock, Meikle mentioned needing to “zone out” from the support directed at his adversary. He commented on the crowd’s reaction, stating, “You expect it.” Meikle elaborated, “The crowd wanted Fallon to win, with what she’s done for the ladies side of darts, so I knew what to expect.” Regarding any negative crowd reception, he noted, “It’s not nice [the booing] but you sort of zone out and concentrate.” He also drew on past experience, adding, “I played Lisa Ashton two years ago in the first round so I had some experience of playing a woman on the big stage.” Meikle intends to return to his home in Leiston, Suffolk, and resume work for a few days before traveling back to London on Friday to prepare for his upcoming match against Littler. He explained his approach: “I like to go home and keep busy and my mind off it and then I’ll just prepare for Saturday.” Meikle also reflected on his experience, stating, “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 marks Meikle’s fifth participation in the World Championship, and he has now advanced to the second round for the third consecutive time. Achieving the third round for the first time would require him to defeat the player credited with significantly boosting the sport’s profile through his rapid ascent in the past 12 months. Following his loss to Luke Humphries in the 2023 final during his debut, Littler has since claimed victory in three PDC finals this year. He was also recognized as BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and secured the runner-up position in the primary award on Tuesday. Meikle acknowledges that Littler is widely considered the strong favorite and perceives the upcoming match as his personal ‘cup final’. He remarked, “100% – there’ll be millions tuning in just to watch his game and I’m going to be a part of it.” Meikle reiterated his sentiment, stating, “I’m going to feel honoured just to be up there with him.” He also recognized the need for improved performance: “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.” Concluding, he added, “I’m living the dream and it’s the most amazing feeling.”