Luke Littler is just two wins away from defending his 2026 World Matchplay of Darts title, and right now, only three other players stand between him and another championship. Blackpool is electric as we hit the semifinal stage, with every single player chasing glory, and Saturday night’s two matchups will decide who gets to fight for the trophy on Sunday.
Price on a Heater, Van Veen Got His Work Cut Out
First up, it’s the showdown between (7) Gerwyn Price and (3) Gian van Veen, and my money’s on Price to take it 17-14. Look, Price has been the clear better player throughout this tournament, even with a shaky start in the first round that almost sent him packing against Martin Schindler. But since then? He’s been on an absolute upward trajectory, raising his average in the last two rounds and peaking with a ridiculous 102.78 in his quarterfinal win over Ross Smith on Friday. That kind of momentum is dangerous.
Van Veen, on the other hand, just barely squeaked past Wade in his quarterfinal, and it wasn’t nearly as impressive as Price’s run. Sure, van Veen could find his stride on Saturday, but all recent signs point to Price being the favorite here. Even when van Veen’s scoring isn’t top-tier, he does shine in those clutch, do-or-die moments with his doubles, so he’s got that going for him at least. This one should still be a close contest, but Price is in control.
Can Anyone Slow Down the Littler Express?
Then comes the match everyone’s buzzing about: (1) Luke Littler vs. unseeded Dirk van Duijvenbode. My prediction? Littler wins this one handily, 17-9. DvD has put together an incredible tournament run, making it to the semifinals as an unseeded player after knocking out some serious Premier League talent like Chris Dobey, Michael van Gerwen, and Gary Anderson. Two of those matches went to tiebreakers, which tells you DvD has gained some serious experience in high-pressure situations.
But now? He’s facing Luke Littler, and let’s be real, Littler is playing at a historic pace that makes him virtually unbeatable right now. While DvD will give it his best shot, and we’ll probably see some great scoring from both guys, it would take a career-best day from DvD and a total off day from Littler for DvD to even have a prayer of winning, let alone finishing within arm’s length. Seriously, getting breaks of throw against Littler is incredibly difficult; he’s held his own throw 75.9% of the time in this 2026 Matchplay. That’s 22 out of 29 legs! Good luck with that, DvD.
So, Saturday night is crunch time. Can Price keep that insane upward trend rolling and punch his ticket? And seriously, is there anyone on the planet who can even get within arm’s length of Luke Littler right now? We’ll get our answers, and find out who battles for the title on Sunday. Man, I can’t wait for this!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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