Teen sensation storms into World Darts Championship final
Updated January 3, 2024 — 12.00pm
London: Sixteen-year-old Luke Littler continued his fairytale run at the World Darts Championship as he reached the final with a 6-2 thrashing of Rob Cross at a raucous Alexandra Palace on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).
The teenager will next face fellow Englishman Luke Humphries, who beat Scott Williams 6-0 and climbed to world No.1 by reaching Wednesday’s showpiece match.
Still 19 days shy of his 17th birthday, Littler started a little nervously and lost the opening set but took control with an astonishing display of scoring and double-hitting.
He is by far the youngest player to reach the final of the championships and Cross, the 2018 champion, could only watch on and admire his fellow Englishman.
Littler won six successive legs after trailing for the first time in the tournament and was simply too clinical for his far more experienced opponent as he ran away to victory, sealing it with his trusty double 10.
“I have no words, it’s just crazy to think I’m in a World Championship final in my debut. I was happy winning one game but I could go all the way,” Littler told Sky Sports.
Scott Williams, right, congratulates Luke Littler after his stunning semi-final win.Credit: AP
“Rob told me ‘God bless, you’re a step away, do it’.
“I’ve just settled on the stage. It took me a few legs to settle in the game and once I found that rhythm I was good to go.”
Littler beat five-time world champion Raymond Van Barneveld 4-1 in the last 16 on Saturday before outscoring 50-year-old Brendan Dolan 5-1 in the quarter-finals on Monday.
The English teenager will face the winner of the second semi-final between Scott Williams and Luke Humphries in the showpiece match on Wednesday.
“I’ll do what I’ve been doing,” Littler added. “In the morning I’ll go for my ham and cheese omelette, then come here have a pizza and then practise on the board. That’s what I’ve done every day. I’ll be watching the other semi. I’m sure it will be another cracking game.”
No unseeded player has ever won the PDC World Darts Championship.
Humphries, 28, was delighted to become world No.1 but knows he will have a battle on his hands in the final.
Loading
“It feels amazing. I would never have imagined myself to be the world number one, that is a special, special feeling,” he told Sky Sports. “And to do it in style - I was really pleased with that performance there.
“But like I’ve said in many, many, many interviews, world number one can last a couple of months, world champion is forever and I’ve got a really tough task tomorrow against Luke.”
Reuters
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
Loading
