Overview
- Dutch fans booed the world No. 1 throughout Night 11 in Rotterdam on Thursday, and he reached the final before losing 6-4 to Jonny Clayton.
- Littler beat Gerwyn Price 6-3 and then edged Luke Humphries 6-5 to make the decider, pausing mid-match to signal “calm down” toward sections of the crowd.
- He told Sky Sports the jeers were “exactly what I expected” and said he felt able to focus once on stage.
- Clayton’s second straight nightly win moved him five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
- The backlash traces to April 2 in Manchester when Gian van Veen accused Littler of celebrating a miss, prompting a ‘crybaby’ gesture and later social posts that critics say inflamed tensions.