- Walker defeated Sebastian Bialecki in the first round of the competition in Minehead
- He lost in the second round, but scored a victory in his television debut on Friday.
- Littler joined the competition in the fourth round a day after playing in the Premier League.
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Luke Littler may have a new darts opponent on the horizon following the 17-year-old’s success on day one of the UK Open.
The tournament began in Minehead on Friday, a day after the Premier League fifth round, in which Littler reached the semi-finals before losing to Rob Cross.
The world’s top stars will not be in action until later in the competition, with Little entering the fourth round later on Friday, facing former Premier League winner James Wade.
Meanwhile, Jenson Walker edged out Sebastian Bialecki in the first round of the competition, winning his TV debut 6-4 before almost running off the stage in celebration.
At the same age as Littler, it has been suggested that Walker could, like the World Championship runner-up, enjoy a rapid rise in darts and compete among the best.
Luke Littler (pictured) could have a new teenage darts rival after Jenson Walker’s success at the UK Open
Jenson Walker, 17, won his television debut in the first round of the UK Open on Friday.
Littler has continued his good form in 2024 after moving up to second place in the Premier League on Thursday.
Shooting out a 78 to claim victory in the Open, Walker ran into the main stage crowd and let out raw emotion before returning to the oche to shake his opponent’s hand.
Bialecki was gracious in defeat and seemed to wish his opponent well at the end of the match.
Unfortunately for darts fans and Walker himself, there is no chance of him facing Littler in the competition, with the teenager losing 6-3 to Germany’s Tim Wolters in the second round.
Players compete for a prize pool of £110,000 and the winner will be crowned on Sunday.
Walker nearly jumped off the main stage in Minehead as he celebrated shooting 78 for the win.
Target Darts paid tribute to their customer’s first round victory on their television debut in Minehead.
“No way is she 17,” said one fan on social media, while another added: “Absolutely brilliant!!!!”
Target darts, which recently signed Littler after Walker put pen to paper in 2022, said: ‘That was very impressive from Jenson Walker there! Almost jumping into the crowd in celebration, you can see what it means!’
Walker is said to have started playing darts when he was a 13-year-old shut-in.