‘Every moment he had to hurt me, he did’published at 22:14 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January
Result: Littler 7-3 Van Gerwen
Runner-up Michael van Gerwen, speaking to Sky Sports:
“I went 4-0 behind and after that I thought I wasn’t doing myself any justice, but that’s the way it is.
“You need to try to fight and battle back and I think after going 4-0 down, I was definitely not the worst player out of us. But fair play to him, every chance he got and every moment he had to hurt me, he did.
“I had a lovely tournament and I enjoyed every moment of it. We all know I’ve come from a far distance and I’ve been battling my own game, but at the beginning of the game I was letting myself down too much and when you do that against a player with his ability, you’re going to be in trouble.
“You have to take it on the chin, move on and walk off the stage as a champion. I always take my hat off to the people that beat me and if they beat me in a good game, fair play to them. That’s how sport works.”
He adds, with a smile: “I’m 35, he’s 17. Every 17 years, a star gets born.
“He deserves it, he played well. It hurts, but that’s how it should be. If it doesn’t hurt, you’re not going to be a sportsman. I have to move on and make sure I keep playing better.”