Luke Littler is two wins away from the world championship.
Luke Littler won his fifth match in a row at the World Championships. PDO
The most talked about player of the Darts World Championships, only 16 years old Luke Littler didn’t show much mercy to his 50-year-old opponent Brendan Dolan in the quarterfinals.
“The Nuke” won the first four sets, stumbled in the fifth and won the sixth. So the game ended with a clear 5-1 victory for the rookie player.
At the beginning of the match, possibly nervous about the stakes, Littler got his game rolling after a couple of turns. He collected 5 180 throws, or three out of twenty triples. The average of the innings was a handsome 101.93. Dolan’s was 86.45.
– To the semifinals in my debut race. I’ve earned it. I have every chance to win the final. The championship is only two wins away, Littler commented in the winner’s interview.
Littler, hailed as the prince of Alexandra Palace in the British media, will face the world number eight in the semifinals by Rob Cross32. Cross won the world championship in his competitive debut in 2018.
Even then, according to the Daily Mail, Littler had thrown his first crucible.
– Rob’s debut was also fantastic. I’m looking forward to our game. No need to wake up early tomorrow. I’ll take it easy and come back here for the evening, Littler said with a smile.
The World Cup means a big day of reckoning for Littler, who has finished school. With his semi-final win, he doubled his prize money to £100,000. If his winning streak continues to the world title, Littler will return home half a million pounds richer.
In a couple of weeks, Littler has become a big celebrity in England.
– My life has already changed. At the West Ham vs Arsenal match, people came to take pictures with me. I just replied, “What? I’m wearing a hood. I’m trying to stay hidden.” But it’s nice that people want pictures, Littler commented on his increased popularity to the Daily Mail on Sunday.
The next opponent, Cross, saw a wonderful rise from a 0–4 defeat to a 5–4 victory on Monday. Chris Dobey even held a decision ladder in his hand, but the pressure seems to be too hard this time.
The semi-finals will be played on Tuesday and the final on Wednesday.