Luke Littler hit a nine-dart leg on his way to a breathtaking 8-7 victory over Rob Cross which saw him crowned 2024 Belgian Darts Open champion.

Making his bow on the European Tour circuit, the 17-year-old starlet became the first debut winner of such a tournament since the great Phil Taylor in 2012.

The showpiece was a truly epic contest between the two Premier League stars, with 33-year-old Cross taking command early on.

Leg 10 proved to be a pivotal exchange, with Voltage missing three darts for a 6-4 lead before Littler eventually punished, sneaking double top with his last dart in hand to level things at 5-5.

Then came the moment of sheer brilliance, with The Nuke producing the holy grail of darts — nine perfect arrows finished on double 12 to send the Wieze crowd into pandemonium.

Cross immediately congratulated his opponent for the exceptional feat before quickly getting back down to business and reeled off consecutive legs to move one away from victory.

But it was Littler who had the last laugh, taking the final two legs to land the title and add yet another prize to his rapidly growing trophy cabinet.

Littler said: "I hit the nine and then lost the last two legs, so I'm just glad I managed to dig in and get over the line.

"Like Rob said to me after, I bring the best out of him and he brings the best out of me, so we have good battles between us.

"I think the 144 [finish] is easier than the 141. When the first [treble 20] goes in, you know the second one should follow it and it's a great feeling to hit it."

The Warrington-born ace also triumphed on his World Series debut in January — lifting the Bahrain Darts Masters — and has been more than holding his own in the Premier League's early weeks.

He will be back in action this Thursday when the weekly roadshow rolls into Nottingham, where he plays Michael van Gerwen in his opening match.

Meanwhile, Cross, who averaged a stunning 108 in defeat, will kick off against World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.