Luke Littler’s route to the World Darts Championship final
The 16-year-old Littler has taken out a number of big names en route to the final
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Teenager Luke Littler will hope his history-making World Darts Championship journey ends in glory when he plays Luke Humphries in the final this evening.
It has been a whirlwind two weeks for the 16-year-old debutant, who is the youngest-ever player to reach the climax of the premier darts tournament.
Here, we look at how Littler has stormed through the tournament.
First round – Beat Christian Kist 3-0
Having earned his place by winning the World Youth Championship in November, Littler’s record-breaking started in his first-round match.
The teenage debutant destroyed Christian Kist in straight sets, averaging a mammoth 106.12, which is the highest ever by a player on debut at the World Championship.
Second round – beat Andrew Gilding 3-1
The UK Open champion ought to have provided a sterner test but he was also brushed aside to ensure ‘The Nuke’ returned to the Alexandra Palace after Christmas.
His numbers were not as good as his opening-round win, but he became the youngest player to ever reach the third round of the World Championship with another assured display.
Third round – beat Matt Campbell 4-1
The hype was growing around Littler as he resumed his campaign two days after Christmas and the gifts kept on coming as he sent the Canadian packing.
It was a mammoth 164 checkout and an impressive doubles percentage that saw him over the line to keep the dream – and the media hype – alive.
Last 16 – beat Raymond van Barneveld 4-1
Littler used to imitate Van Barneveld as a three-year-old so to get the chance to play him on the Alexandra Palace stage was a dream come true.
And it was the 16-year-old who played like a five-time world champion as the apprentice demolished the master. He averaged a superb 105.01 and threw nine 180s to prove his credentials as a genuine contender.
Quarter-final – beat Brendan Dolan 5-1
The Littler juggernaut showed no signs of stopping as he demolished Dolan with a superb display.
Dolan had ousted former world champions Gerwyn Price and Gary Anderson on the way to the last eight but he could not cope with Littler’s heavy scoring and mature matchplay as he again averaged over 100.
Semi-final – beat Rob Cross 6-2
The teenager saved his best for the biggest occasion as he put in a masterful performance to beat 2018 champion Cross – the last man to win on debut.
He lost the first set to trail for the first time in the tournament but soon showed he is a player for the big occasion, winning with a 106.05 average and 16 180s to keep the dream alive.
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