Luke Littler has explained he will put friendship aside on Saturday evening, when he faces Josh Rock in the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts. The ‘Nuke’ averaged 105 at the oche and landed 77 per cent on his doubles as he cruised past Wessel Niemann with a score of 10-4 on Thursday to land his spot in the final eight of the tournament.

However, he will face a different kind of test altogether when he faces close friend Rock this weekend in a highly-anticipated rematch of their World Matchplay semi-final which became an instant classic after ending 17-14 in Littler’s favour. Regardless, the 18-year-old has explained how the two will become enemies on the night for the duration of the match, speaking volumes about his winning mentality. Looking ahead to the fixture, Littler said: “Backstage we’ll always chat and have a laugh, but once we’re on stage we’re enemies, and we’ve got to do our job.”

Elsewhere, Littler also explained that he thrives on the big stage, as he looks to close in on the number one spot on the PDC’s Order of Merit. He added: “Everyone knows I hate the Pro Tours — all you hear is squeaky chairs and people chatting. I love the stage, I love producing it, especially when I’m playing like that.”

As it stands, Luke Humphries leads in the Order of Merit, but with less than £75,000 separating him and Littler, the two could switch places by the end of the Grand Slam. That all depends on ‘Cool Hand’ Humphries not winning the Eric Bristow Trophy, however, due to the Order of Merit operating on a two-year rotation in terms of prize money.

As a result, Humphries’ win from two years ago will no longer count when the current tournament is said and done, so he will need to win the £150,000 top prize Wolverhampton to retain his top spot. It’s good news for Littler, considering Rock recently vented his frustration with his performances at the Grand Slam thus far.

After scraping past Connor Scutt in the round of 16 with a 10-8 win, Rock said: “I feel dreadful. I didn’t play my game at all. I couldn’t find my rhythm until the last leg.

“I feel sorry for Connor because he played phenomenal in patches. Last leg I finally kicked off with the 180 and got the double in the end, but I’m disappointed because I didn’t perform the way I know I can. That was horrendous.”

He added: “Sometimes you need luck to win these games and thankfully I’m still here in the quarter-final. Connor didn’t play to his full potential either, but I’m grateful I’m still standing here now.”

However, Littler isn’t underestimating his opponent headed into Saturday’s clash. On Rock, he said: “89 average — that isn’t Josh. He’ll easily put another 10 or 15 points on that against me. I’ve got to expect it.”

Littler heads into the tournament as the defending champion, having won last year’s Grand Slam of Darts thanks to a 16-3 demolition of Martin Lukeman. Speaking to Sky Sports after his win, he said: “I’m so glad to win it.

“I’ve been playing well all week, it’s been a long week but it’s paid off. I’m so happy to win this.”