Defending champion Luke Littler faces Ryan Searle in the World Darts Championship semi-finals tonight at Alexandra Palace, with the 18-year-old now the overwhelming favourite to retain his title. The other semi-final sees 55-year-old Gary Anderson take on Gian van Veen, with both matches starting around 7.30pm GMT.
Littler's path to back-to-back titles became significantly clearer after his main rival Luke Humphries crashed out in the quarter-finals, losing 5-1 to an inspired Van Veen. The Dutchman averaged 105.41 and hit 11 180s to eliminate the 2024 champion and world number one.
The defending champion himself delivered a dominant 5-0 quarter-final victory over Krzysztof Ratajski, posting a 100.05 average with multiple ton-plus finishes. The performance won over the Alexandra Palace crowd that had previously booed him during his fourth-round match against Rob Cross.
Searle dares to dream
Searle faces a formidable challenge, having never beaten Littler in five previous meetings. He defeated Jonny Clayton 5-2 in the quarters to reach the semi-finals.
He told Sky Sports: "I've got two really tough games left and potentially the toughest game of them all against Luke Littler." Searle added: "I want to try and lift the pressure off me a little bit just because of the position I'm in. I'm probably not expected to win my next game."
Anderson eyes historic title
Anderson reached the semi-finals for the first time in four years with a 5-2 victory over Justin Hood. The veteran Scot, who last won the world title ten years ago, would become the oldest Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) world champion if he claims the £1 million prize.
Van Veen celebrated his stunning upset on stage: "This smile won't go off in the next 24 hours. I am so over the moon, I felt really good. It is indescribable." The win elevated him to world number three.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
