Luke Littler vs Luke Humphries LIVE: Teenage sensation slips to defeat in World Darts Championship final

Luke Littler’s remarkable run ended without a fairytale finish as the new world No 1 triumphed

Luke Littler says he is yet to face 'anything difficult' as 16-year-old reaches World Darts Championship final

Teenage superstar Luke Littler had his dream ending of winning a world title taken away by the impressive performance of new World No. 1 Luke Humphries who came from behind to win the World Darts Championship in a thrilling finale at Alexandra Palace.

Littler, seemingly unfazed by the occasion, started poorly with the darts in the opening set as Humphries slipped seamlessly into his rhythm. He broke the teenagers throw and went on the claim the set in quick fashion. Littler responded after the break with two 100+ finishes to get back on level terms.

Humphries took the third set and Littler the fourth with neither player managing to hold their throw in these early stages. It was the fifth set that saw Littler begin to tick in his, now almost trademark fashion. He hunted down the treble 20s and finished off his checkouts with verve as Humphries began to flounder. The 16-year-old took three sets in a row to open up a lead of two.

The final then swung definitively. Humphries upped his level as Littler’s dipped. The 28-year-old banging in the 180s with gusto and clinching enough doubles under pressure to keep the teenager at bay. When Humphries retook the lead from a break of throw the momentum was firmly in his corner and a hold of throw moved him within one set of victory.

Littler never wilted, he was out thrown. Constant pressure made Humphries work for his victory but a firm showing in the final set saw him win the deciding leg with a double 16 finish and lift the World Championship trophy for the first time.

Relive all the action below, and get the latest darts betting site offers here:

World Darts Championship final LIVE

• Luke Humphries triumphs over Luke Littler winning darts final 7-4
• Teenager Luke Littler defeated by Luke Humphries in the World Darts Championship final
• 16-year-old Littler took the event by storm but failed at the last hurlde for historic debut triumph

[3 January 2024 18:30 · Mike Jones]

Luke Littler vs Luke Humphries

Teenager Luke Littler is just one match away from completing an extraordinary triumph.

The 16-year-old was in irresistable form in his semi-final win over former champion Rob Cross and is now bidding to become world champion on debut at Alexandra Palace to complete a fairytale sporting story.

Standing in his way is the new world No. 1.

Luke Humphries climbed to the top of the world rankings with a 6-0 thrashing of Scott Williams yesterday but nan the pre-tournament favourite dash Littler’s teenage dream?

[3 January 2024 18:20 · Mike Jones]

Luke Littler is prodigious talent – let’s not burden him with expectation

Darts has never been a game embarrassed by hyperbole. Remember the commentator Sid Waddell’s eulogy about the serial world champion Phil Taylor when he won yet another title?

“If we’d had Phil Taylor at Hastings against the Normans, they’d have gone home,” Waddell suggested.

Or there’s his somewhat overwrought description of another multiple-winner, Eric Bristow. “When Alexander of Macedonia was 33, he cried salt tears because there were no more worlds to conquer… Bristow’s only 27.”

But the assertion this week by Barry Hearn, the grand impresario of the game, that Luke Littler is the Tiger Woods of darts is perhaps the most exaggerated in a crowded field of arrows overstatement. Not least because as yet, unlike Woods who stands second in the all-time list of golf major winners, the 16-year-old from Warrington has yet to win anything.

[3 January 2024 18:10 · Mike Jones]

Luke Littler has been ‘smashing’ opponents on the darts board since he was nine

Luke Littler has been “smashing them all to bits” on the dartboard since the age of nine.

Littler’s incredible run to the World Championship final at the age of 16 has transcended events on the oche and shocked the entire sporting world, but not St Helens Darts Academy co-founder Karl Holden.

Even esteemed French sports publication L’Equipe, a title not known for its darts coverage, devoted space to hail the teenage sensation after his semi-final demolition of former world champion Rob Cross at Alexandra Palace on Tuesday evening.

[3 January 2024 18:00 · Mike Jones]

Omelettes, tracksuits and Xbox: A day in the life of 16-year-old darts sensation Luke Little

Teenage star Luke Littler will stick with his diet of cheese and ham omelettes and pizza as he tries to complete his history-making World Championship dream.

The 16-year-old debutant continued his amazing Alexandra Palace journey by becoming the youngest-ever finalist when he destroyed 2018 champion Rob Cross in the semi-final. He is now on the cusp of producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time, with new world No 1 Luke Humphries now standing in his way.

Littler has made history with some unconventional preparations, with his love of kebabs also a theme of his run to the final, but it is working for him.

[3 January 2024 17:50 · Mike Jones]

A tale of two Lukes as Littler and Humphries go head to head in world championship final

Luke Littler’s teenage dream concludes when he faces Luke Humphries in the World Championship final on Wednesday evening.

Here is a look at how the players match up:

Rapid rises

Humphries’ formidable display against Williams in the semi-final saw him climb to the top of the world rankings, leapfrogging Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith. It is reward for his stunning form over the last couple of months, where he won his first major titles. His rise has been rapid, but Littler’s has been meteoric.

The teen headed into the tournament ranked 164 in the world but is already up to 31st. If he can get over the line in the final, he will climb into the top 10.

[3 January 2024 17:40 · Mike Jones]

A tale of two Lukes as Littler and Humphries go head to head in world championship final

Luke Littler’s teenage dream concludes when he faces Luke Humphries in the World Championship final on Wednesday evening.

Here is a look at how the players match up:

Unbeaten streaks

Both players are in supreme form and are on long unbeaten streaks. Humphries is the form player in the world and extended his winning run to 18 when he beat Williams to reach the final. It was October 29 when ‘Cool Hand’ last lost, going down to James Wade in the European Championship. He won the Players Championship a week later, which was his third major title in six weeks.

Littler is also used to winning and is unbeaten in 21 matches going back to August in PDC events, which included him winning the World Youth Championship.

[3 January 2024 17:30 · Mike Jones]

A tale of two Lukes as Littler and Humphries go head to head in world championship final

Luke Littler’s teenage dream concludes when he faces Luke Humphries in the World Championship final on Wednesday evening.

Here is a look at how the players match up:

Big scoring

The teenager created history in his first-round win over Christian Kist by recording the highest average of a debutant at the World Championship and that set the tone for a high-scoring performance.

Littler’s three-dart tournament average is 101.82, he has thrown 50 180s and crucially is operating at a 45 per cent success rate on checkouts.

Humphries’ average is slightly down at 99.33, but he has also thrown a half-century of maximums and has taken out 41 per cent of his double attempts.

[3 January 2024 17:20 · Mike Jones]

A tale of two Lukes as Littler and Humphries go head to head in world championship final

Luke Littler’s teenage dream concludes when he faces Luke Humphries in the World Championship final on Wednesday evening.

The 16-year-old is the youngest ever player to reach the decider in a remarkable Alexandra Palace journey, but he will face the toughest test yet against the new world number one.

Here is a look at how the players match up:

Routes to final

The pair have had differing journeys to the final. Despite his tender years, Littler has had the most serene path, dropping just six sets.

He proved he is already at a level to compete with the very best as he took out UK Open champion Andrew Gilding, walloped five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld and then beat 2018 title winner Rob Cross in stunning fashion.

Humphries’ route has been a little rockier as he was taken to a final-set decider against Ricardo Pietreczko in the third round and then needed a sudden-death leg to beat Joe Cullen in the fourth.

He looks to be coming into form just at the right time, though, as he whitewashed Scott Williams 6-0 in the semi-final, producing the 10th best three-dart average ever at the Alexandra Palace, with six 100+ checkouts.

[3 January 2024 17:10 · Mike Jones]

Luke Littler throws darts while still in nappies as star shares old family video

Teenage sensation Luke Littler is seen throwing darts while still in nappies as the player shared an old family video.

The 16-year-old, who has captured the hearts of fans around the world with his performances so far at Alexandra Palace, is seen in the family video throwing darts at the board.

The footage of Littler when he was just 18 months old is believed to have been taken by his mother in 2008, and was shared by the player on his Instagram page.

[3 January 2024 17:00 · Mike Jones]

What is the prize money?

As well as the Sid Waddell Trophy, there is £2.5m in prize money on offer for the World Darts Championship with the champion netting a cool £500,000.

The runner-up earns a cool £200,000 while semi-finalists will pocket £100,000 each and those that reach the quarter-finals winning £50,000.

Fourth-round and third-round losers earn themselves £35,000 and £25,000 respectively while there is £15,000 on offer for the 32 players knocked out in the second round and the 32 first-round losers will take away £7,500.