- By Callum Matthews
- ` Sport
January 2, 2024, 9:31 p.m. GMT
Updated 11 minutes ago
image source, Getty Images
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Luke Littler scored over 100 42 times
Luke Littler's sensational run at the PDC World Darts Championship continued as the 16-year-old defeated Rob Cross to storm into the final.
Littler, taking part in a world tournament for the first time, won 6-2 and will face Luke Humphries, who defeated Scott Williams 6-0.
Littler, who has now earned £200,000, is the youngest person to reach the final, overtaking Kirk Shepherd, who was 21 years 88 days old in 2008.
“It's crazy to even think I'll be in the final on my debut,” he said.
Littler told Sky Sports: “I was happy to win a game and now I can make it to the end. It is not easy. You play against Rob, he is a world champion who won on debut. I am at a loss for words.”
Asked about his preparation for Wednesday's final, Littler added: “I'll do what I did. In the morning I go for my ham and cheese omelet and then come here and have a pizza and then get ready for it.” Board. I did that every day.
Humphries became the new world number one after reaching the final for the first time and will pose Littler's toughest test.
Littler's run to the final
Round 1: Beat Christian Kist 3-0
Round 2: Beat Andrew Gilding (ranked 20) 3-1
Round 3: Defeat Matt Campbell 4-1
Round 4: Defeat five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld (28) 4:1
Quarterfinals: Defeat Brendan Dolan (29) 5:1
Semi-final: Beat 2018 PDC World Champion Rob Cross (8) 6-2
Littler's record run continues
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Watch: Luke Littler plays darts as a toddler in home video footage
Littler, who turns 17 on January 21, was warmed up to by the audience at Alexandra Palace singing “There's only one Luke Littler” and “Walking in a Littler Wonderland” in the famous amphitheater.
Many pundits predicted Littler would outperform 2018 champion Cross, 33, and that ultimately proved true, despite some initially tough and nervous darts.
He finished the game with a three-dart average of 106.05 compared to Cross's 102.77.
It is the fourth game of the tournament in which Littler has averaged over 100. No other player has achieved this, next Chris Dobey has already been eliminated three times.
Littler started the tournament ranked 164th in the world and had a provisional ranking of 50 before the semi-final. If he is successful in Wednesday's final, he could move up to ninth and win £500,000.
He had only played four senior matches in the main PDC events before his debut on December 20th and now has the chance to become the tournament's youngest winner, surpassing Michael van Gerwen, who was 24 years and nine months old when he won for the first time was title in 2014.
Littler lost the first set for the first time in the tournament before recovering to take a 3-1 lead, including a 142 throwout in the third set.
Cross won the next set, breaking Littler's throw with a 138, before struggling to match his opponent's high-scoring play as the 16-year-old won three sets in a row to secure victory.
Littler threw 16 maximum throws compared to Cross's 10, but it was the checkout precision that really cost the former champion.
At one point, Littler's checkout percentage was 64.7 and Cross's was 34.8. In the end it was 46.8 and 41.7 respectively, but the Warrington teenager had opened up too big of a lead by this point.
“I just wanted to win my first round game,” Littler told Sky Sports. “I heard him [Christian Kist] was struggling with an injury but I blocked it. I knew I would spend more time in London, so my next goal was to spend Christmas with the family and then come back, and I did that, and here I am in the finale.
“I’ve just settled into this stage. I need a few legs to get used to it, but then I’m good to go.”
“There is no more development tour for me now! I’m happy to be in the top 32 and can go even higher.”
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Luke Littler: 16-year-old at a celebratory meal after winning the World Cup
Humphries storms into the final
Humphries has now won 18 games in a row and is storming to the top of the world rankings.
The 28-year-old has reached three quarter-finals at the World Cup, but he had never averaged over 100 at this tournament until his quarter-final.
He averaged 108.74 against Williams (33), ranked among the top 10 in the tournament's history, and scored over 100 six times.
“It feels great. “I never imagined being number one in the world, it’s a very special feeling,” Humphries told Sky Sports.
“To do it in style, I was really happy with this performance. As I have said in many interviews, the world number one can last a few months, the world champion is forever.”
Of Littler, Humphries said: “I've seen the way he's played many times before, but when you get on that stage it can be a lot harder, but he just proved he's got a lot of potential.”
“Nothing will faze him. I’ll probably have to play the game of my life.”
“I have a difficult task ahead of me and I hope we can give people one of the best world finals ever.”
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