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Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will clash in the 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship final on Wednesday after a sensational semi-final display on a famous night at Alexandra Palace.
Teenage sensation Littler continued his fairytale run with a breathtaking 6-2 victory over Rob Cross, averaging 106 points and one win away from completing one of the most amazing stories in sports history. Only one win left.
Meanwhile, Humphries put on a darts masterclass, brutally defeating Scott Williams, averaging 108.74 points and checking out over six tons to become the new world number one.
Nevertheless, it was Littler who stole the headlines, beating the 2018 champion’s cross to advance to the biggest match on the darts calendar, less than three weeks before his 17th birthday.
Luke Littler (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Rob Cross (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Luke Littler (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Rob Cross (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Luke Littler (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Luke Littler (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Scott Williams (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Luke Humphries (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Luke Humphries (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Luke Humphries (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Luke Humphries (Taylor Lanning/PDC)
Dutch icon Raymond van Barneveld also made it to the last 16, with the world youth champion bagging another huge scalp in the capital to guarantee a minimum prize of £200,000.
Littler had only dropped four sets before the semifinals, but Cross dropped a quality first set that averaged 108, putting him on the back foot for the first time this tournament.
However, after fending off a set dart in the second set, Littler fought back with legs of 13 and 14 darts to equalize, scoring a sensational 142 checkout on his way to establishing a 2-1 cushion. .
The unfazed teenager continued his blitz with an impressive 149 checkout midway through set four, then ignored six perfect darts from Cross to get within 11 darts and extend his lead in fine style. .
The 2018 champion fought back to reduce the arrears in an eventful fifth set, scoring an unconventional 138 checkout and taking a 4-1 lead after exploiting a rare mistake by Littler, who missed a dart at the top.
That small setback was ignored by the 16-year-old sensation, who conjured 13 darters in a row en route to a 4-2 lead, and he continued his relentless barrage in the seventh set to stay one set away from glory.
Any chance of nervousness at the finish line was brushed aside by an inspired Littler, who started the eighth set with a checkout of 132, leaving Cross shaking his head in utter disbelief.
The world No. 8 fought back from a four-set deficit to overwhelm Chris Dobie in the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day, but the same could not be said of Littler as he shot two darts 80 out for a historic victory. It couldn’t be repeated.
“I’m speechless.” Littler averaged 106, crashed as high as 16, and conceded three ton-top checkouts to cap off a captivating show.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’ve been throwing big averages on the floor all year, and I’m very happy to be able to take that performance to the biggest stage of all.
“It would be incredible if we could win this title. I set myself a goal to win one game and come back after Christmas and I’m still here!
“I can’t even imagine lifting that trophy yet, though. I just have to focus, relax and be Luke Littler.”
Humphries backed up Littler’s heroics with a commanding performance of his own, ousting Michael van Gerwen’s conqueror Williams in six straight sets and coming one game away from fulfilling his darts destiny.
Humphries defeated Ricardo Pietrechko and Joe Cullen in a deciding set, then defeated Dave Chisnall in the quarterfinals for an average of 103, before gaining momentum against a helpless Williams.
The 28-year-old opened the contest with a brilliant 11 darter, setting the tone for one of the greatest performances ever seen on the Alexandra Palace stage.
Humphries continued his strong start with back-to-back 121 and 136 checkouts in the second set, and his impressive finish continued in the third, with a magical 170 followed by a set-winning 126 combination for a 3-0 lead. I took the lead.
Despite overcoming a scare in the fourth set, Humphries continued his march with an incredible performance in the fifth set, posting a 121 finish for the second time in the contest and averaging 122. A seemingly impregnable cushion was established.
Williams continued to fight valiantly but was unable to avoid a whitewash as Humphries unleashed a 13, 16 and 16 dart leg in the closing stages to celebrate another personal milestone.
“This is a huge moment for me.” Humphries confirmed he has won the World Grand Prix, Darts Grand Slam and Players Championship Final titles since October.
“This is probably one of the best performances I’ve ever produced on a big stage. I just hope it wasn’t one more game too soon.”
“Luke was great tonight so I had to give an expressive performance. Every aspect of my game was exactly as I wanted it to be and it’s a very special moment.”
“Being world number one can only be dreamed of as a child, but if you become world champion, tomorrow will be there forever. So my mind is completely focused on that.”
Humphries is looking to cap off a sensational 2023 campaign by becoming the third player to win four Premier TV titles in 12 months, alongside Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen. .
Meanwhile, after Dennis Priestley won the inaugural World Darts Championship in 1993/94, Littler is now following in the footsteps of Van Barneveld and Cross, who won the sport’s biggest title on their debut. I’m about to try.
Click here for match statistics and results.
2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship
Tuesday, January 2nd
Semi-final
Luke Littler 6-2 Rob Cross (2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-2)
Luke Humphries 6-0 Scott Williams (3-2, 3-0, 3-2, 3-2, 3-0, 3-1)
Wednesday, January 3 (2000 GMT)
Last
Luke Littler v Luke Humphries
best of 13 sets
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