Darts star labels last-16 opponent at World Championship as ‘odd’ after player clashed with Luke Littler at event this year

Nathan Aspinall has labelled Ricardo Pietreczko ‘an odd character’ ahead of his World Championship last-16 clash with the German star.

Aspinall vowed to put on a show at Ally Pally on Monday as he aims to reach the final eight.

The No 12 seed secured his position in the round of 16 by beating Andrew Gilding 4-0 in his third-round match, where he logged a 92.17 three-dart average.

Speaking ahead of his showdown with Pietreczko, ‘The Asp’ stated that he sees victory as a certainty, as he discussed the character of his controversial opponent.

‘Ricardo is a great darts player but he’s an odd character. That’s all I can say,’ he said.

‘He keeps himself to himself. Brings his partner everywhere. I don’t speak to him. I don’t know much about his life.

The Asp will face the German in the World Championship last-16 on Monday

Pietreczko previously had an altercation with Luke Littler where he labelled him arrogant

‘I don’t care what he’s like as a person. I’m going up there to smash him on the dartboard. If I produce what I can do, he doesn’t stand a chance.

‘It might be 60-40 English to German there. In that venue on Monday, it will be electric. I know I will go up there and beat him.’

Pietreczko, who is unseeded, was previously involved in an encounter with Luke Littler in March at the Belgian Open semi-finals.

The German barged towards Littler after his defeat and proceeded to give the Warrington lad an earful.

Littler wrote on a darts Facebook group: ‘No idea what I did wrong, no idea what he said. He said something then don’t do it again.’

Pietreczko took to Instagram to write: ‘So I really appreciated the fact that you can play a game like that at such an age. But I hope the arrogance punishes him.’