Stephen Bunting's behaviour towards Luke Littler in the PDC World Championship semi-final have been described as 'a bit weird' by a former tournament seed.
Littler became the youngest-ever world champion at 17 as he dominated Michael van Gerwen in a spectacular final at Alexandra Palace having previously beaten Bunting in a final-four showdown.
The teenage sensation thrashed 39-year-old Bunting in quick fashion as he emerged 6-1 victor in the semi-final and onto his second consecutive title decider on dart' grandest stage.
However, the friendly circumstances that Bunting and Littler played out their high-scoring eliminator in has now been criticised by a former professional who questioned the lack of competitiveness.
The pair shared plenty of fist bumps, grins and embraces throughout their match including when Littler nailed a 170-checkout to hammer his advantage in the crunch clash.
There was no similar show of sportsmanship in the final between Littler and Van Gerwen and ex-PDC star Dave Chisnall has published his feelings on how Bunting may have been unnerved by Littler's friendly nature.
'The one big disappointment of the semi-finals was my pal Stephen Bunting,' Chisnall wrote for Kwiff.
'He was phenomenal in the first set, but will have been gutted to lose it 3-2, despite the high averages.
'I'm not one for gamesmanship and you won't hear me slagging folk off, but I did think the fist bumps after every set was a bit weird.
'It was noticeable that Michael (Van Gerwen) was having none of it in the final!' he added.
'He looked to be getting back to his best during the Worlds, which will be a worry for most of us other lads on tour.
'He missed too many doubles in the final, but he'll be back. There aren't too many folk three-time World Champion in their 30s,' said Chisnall.
Meanwhile, the pair will have chance to showcase their rivalry again when they go head-to-head in the Premier League after both were named in the roster of competing stars.
Bunting and Littler were named alongside the likes of Van Gerwen, Rob Cross, and Luke Humphries for the Premier League, while Chisnall is amongst the stars that missed out on selection.
