Littler sets up Price final at World Matchplay
Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler has reached the World Matchplay final after a dominant victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode. He is now set to face Gerwyn Price in the final, aiming to become one of the few players to win back-to-back titles.
Why it matters
Littler's rapid rise and consistent performance are reshaping the professional darts landscape and drawing significant mainstream media attention to the sport.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Luke Littler is aiming to become just the third back-to-back winner of the World Matchplay
Defending champion Luke Littler strolled into the World Matchplay final with a 17-5 demolition of unseeded Dirk van Duijvenbode in Blackpool.
The world number one raced in an 8-2 advantage and was averaging 117.10 and on course to beat Phil Taylor's tournament match average record of 114.99
Littler admitted afterwards that distracted him and his level did drop slightly as he finished with an average just below 111.
However, that leaves him well placed to beat Taylor's tournament average of 106.31, with Littler's currently at 110.88.
The teenager's victory also means he has now amassed more than £3m in the PDC's order of merit, and is more than £2m clear of world number two Luke Humphries.
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