The darting world held its collective breath on Saturday as 17-year-old sensation Luke Littler took to the oche in his fourth round clash against seasoned pro Ian White at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship. Fresh off a heart-stopping run to the final in his debut last year, Littler entered this tournament as the bookies’ favorite and the people’s champion. The question on everyone’s mind – could this precocious talent handle the immense pressure and expectation to secure his first world title?
Littler Overcomes Nervy Start to Seal Victory
Those concerns seemed well-founded in the early stages as Littler struggled to find his rhythm. Despite capturing a tense first set, his normally stratospheric average hovered at a mere mortal 90.44. White, a crafty veteran with decades of big stage experience, sensed vulnerability and capitalized to level the match at 1-1. A lesser talent may have crumbled, but not Littler. This teen titan dug deep.
“It was just a case of settling in quick,” Littler remarked after the match. “The first set was OK. But after the first break I was really up for it.”
Finding His Range
And up for it he was. Littler came roaring back in vintage form, unleashing a barrage of maximums and clinical checkouts to rattle off the next three sets in dominant fashion. The precocious precision was on full display – every treble seemingly magnetized to his darts. White, try as he might with some late mini-surges, simply had no answer for the teenage phenom once he found his range.
- Scoring – Littler’s Lethal 180s: 12
- Clutch Finishing – 100+ Checkouts: 4
Marching On to the Next Round
In the end, it was a 4-1 scoreline that flattered White. The qualifier put up a valiant fight, but on current form Littler looks nearly unstoppable – a darting force of nature still coming into his powers. He marches on to a tantalizing fourth round date with the dangerous Ryan Joyce.
“When you’re 3-1 up, last break and you have that feeling that you’re only three legs away and that’s what I said to myself,” Littler said of those final pressure-packed moments.
The Cruellest Game
Darts is often called the cruellest game – one where the slimmest of margins separate glory from heartbreak. For White, missed opportunities were the story, failing to apply scoreboard pressure when he had his chances. Littler wasn’t at his absolute best, but still more than enough. That’s the mark of a true champion.
Can Anyone Stop Littler’s Destiny?
So the fairy tale run continues for the pride of England. The hype, the hopes, the dreams of a first world title – they all grow with every triumphant Littler performance. The rest of the field has officially been put on notice. To hoist the Sid Waddell trophy, they’ll likely have to go through an inspired Littler – a daunting prospect for even the sport’s biggest names.
The Future is Now
We’re witnessing history unfold before our eyes at the Alexandra Palace. The Littler era has dawned. Can the 17-year-old handle the heat of the sport’s brightest spotlight and secure his darting destiny? It’s the question that will define this World Championship. Don’t you dare miss what promises to be an unforgettable finish.
“I don’t think D10 liked me tonight and I didn’t like them,” Littler quipped after the match, proving his charisma matches his talent. “I was thinking of switching up to D18 or D16 but I stuck at the doubles I know and D10 got me home.”
Final result: (4-1) Luke Littler def. Ian White – 3:1 (3:2, 2:3, 3:1, 3:0, 3:1)
