Luke Littler absolutely shredded unseeded Dirk van Duijvenbode 17-5 to punch his ticket to the World Matchplay final, and the numbers he’s throwing are bonkers. This kid, the reigning world number one, isn’t just winning, he’s rewriting the record books and making it look easy.
Littler’s Dominance Is Becoming Unstoppable
Seriously, what Littler is doing out there is beyond belief. He absolutely torched Van Duijvenbode, flying to an 8-2 lead, and at one point, he was rocking a ludicrous 117.10 average. For a minute there, it looked like he was on track to shatter Phil Taylor’s all-time tournament match average record of 114.99. Littler himself admitted that chasing that insane number actually distracted him, causing his level to dip *slightly* as he finished with an average just below 111. But c’mon, that’s still an absolutely mind-blowing performance! His overall tournament average now sits at a staggering 110.88, putting him in prime position to crush Taylor’s overall tournament average of 106.31. This teenager isn’t just winning, he’s chasing history, aiming to become only the third player ever to win back-to-back World Matchplay titles. And get this: he’s already amassed over £3 million in the PDC’s order of merit, sitting more than £2 million clear of world number two Luke Humphries. The dude is playing on another planet right now, and the rest of the darts world has to be wondering how you even compete with that.
Price’s Gritty Climb And Personal Stakes
So, who’s got the monumental task of trying to halt this Littler express? None other than Wales’ Gerwyn Price, the seventh seed. Price clawed his way into the final after taking down the Netherlands’ Gian van Veen 17-10 in his semi-final showdown. Price actually jumped out strong, breaking in the opening leg and grabbing a 4-1 lead early. Things got a little wild in the middle with a scrappy run of legs where both players kept trading breaks, leaving Price holding an 11-9 lead at the final mini-break. But from there, the Iceman put the pedal down, extending his lead over Van Veen with powerful scoring and clutch finishing to seal a pretty comfortable victory in the end. It wasn’t the cleanest match for either player, with both missing 23 darts at a double, and Van Veen, the world number three, had a brutal night, getting broken nine times in his 14 legs throwing first. For Price, this semi-final win means more than just a shot at the title: it propelled him to fourth in the order of merit, pushing him past Jonny Clayton and making him the new Welsh number one. He even told Sky Sports he was “happy” to reach the final, but slyly admitted “getting one up” on his good friend Clayton was his main focus going into the match. Talk about some serious personal stakes adding fuel to this fire!
So it all comes down to Sunday! Luke Littler against Gerwyn Price in the World Matchplay final, kicking off at 20:05 BST. Can Littler keep up this insane level and secure his place in the record books with another title? Or will Price, fueled by his climb in the rankings and that personal rivalry high, find a way to stop the defending champ? You know it’s gonna be appointment viewing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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