Luke Littler continued his meteoric rise in the world of professional darts with a dominant 6-1 victory over Stephen Bunting in the PDC World Darts Championship semifinal. The 17-year-old wunderkind put on a masterclass at the oche, averaging 105 across seven scintillating sets to book his place in a second consecutive final at Alexandra Palace.
A Prodigious Performance
Littler came flying out of the gates, peppering the treble 20 with four maximums in a blistering opening set. Bunting, to his credit, responded valiantly, maintaining a three-dart average north of 110. But Littler’s relentless scoring proved too much, as he edged a deciding leg to draw first blood.
The second set saw both players miss opportunities, but it was Littler who held his nerve, belying his tender age to establish a two-set lead. The teenager then turned on the afterburners in set three, firing in a spectacular 158 checkout en route to a 114 average and a commanding 3-0 advantage.
Bunting’s Brief Resistance
To his immense credit, Bunting refused to buckle, taking the fifth set to get on the scoreboard and keep his faint hopes alive. The man from St Helens continued to hang tough in the sixth, only for Littler to storm back and take out bullseye for a 5-1 lead, unleashing his most animated celebration of the tournament.
“The Bullet” spurned several darts to extend the contest, but by that stage, the writing was on the wall.
Finishing With a Flourish
Fittingly, it was a spectacular 170 checkout that sealed the deal for Littler, capping off a stunning display and setting up a mouthwatering clash with Michael van Gerwen in Friday’s final. The Dutch maestro had earlier ended the fairy-tale run of Chris Dobey with a hard-fought 6-4 triumph.
Speaking after his win, a jubilant Littler said: “It’s been an amazing tournament so far. I’ve played a lot better and won plenty of titles leading up to this, but that’s what we do – we lead up to the big one. I just had to focus on my quarterfinal and semifinal, and now I’ve done that I can focus on Michael tomorrow.”
Dream Final Awaits
Friday’s showpiece has all the makings of an all-time classic, with Van Gerwen chasing a fourth world title and Littler looking to etch his name on the trophy at the first time of asking. The pair have met once before on the big stage, with Littler stunning the Dutchman on his World Series debut last year.
“We all know he’s hunting for that world title but I’m hunting for my first,” said Littler of his upcoming duel with Van Gerwen. “The same as last night – go home, chill out and be back tomorrow.”
“If we both turn up like we did tonight, it is going to be really good. As soon as Luke Humphries went out, that’s what everyone was looking at.”
– Luke Littler on his final clash with Michael van Gerwen
One thing is for certain – if both men bring their A-game to the Palace, we could be in for one of the greatest matches ever seen on the Alexandra Palace stage. Will Mighty Mike cement his legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats, or can Cool Hand Luke announce his arrival as the new king of world darts? We’ll find out on Friday night.
