![Luke Littler has crashed out in the second round of darts' Players Championship in the UK. (EPA PHOTO) Luke Littler has crashed out in the second round of darts' Players Championship in the UK. (EPA PHOTO)](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-feed-data/7ea1556d-043e-41c7-a213-bab3701a441a.jpg/r0_0_800_600_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Darts sensation Luke Littler has failed to follow up his stunning Players Championship debut, falling to a second-round defeat in the follow-up tournament in Wigan.
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The 17-year-old, who made a memorable run to the final of the World Darts Championship earlier this year, had hit a nine-dart finish on his way to winning the title on Monday.
In Tuesday's play he was pipped 6-5 by the 44-year-old Polish-Irish player Radek Szaganski.
The teenager had looked set to launch back-to-back assaults on the final stages after opening with an impressive 6-4 win over experienced former UK Open winner Danny Noppert.
Former world champion Gary Anderson won the title on Tuesday with an 8-5 win over Ryan Searle - the same player beaten by Littler in Monday's final.
Anderson was on blistering form, recording a career-high 117.12 average in his first round win over Andy Baetens and missing double 12 for a nine-darter on three occasions during the day.
"Yesterday I felt like a kid at a new school, I was nervous but today I felt more settled and it showed in my performances," Anderson told broadcaster PDC.tv.
Australian Associated Press