Sport Darts World Cup
16-year-old prodigy Luke Littler is in the final
As of: 10:57 p.m. | Reading time: 3 minutes
Cult caller Bray leaves the big stage
After the World Championships in January, darts is probably losing its most famous voice, Russ Bray. As “The Voice” announced on Thursday, the World Cup final will be his last. The 66-year-old will remain with the PDC in a different role.
Now all that’s missing is one win: Luke Littler reached the final of the Darts World Cup with an outstanding performance. The Englishman gave Rob Cross no chance in the semi-finals and made it to the final on his debut as the third unseeded player in history.
It was the next demonstration of his huge talent, and since Luke Littler showed neither nerves nor any hint of doubt in his first semi-final, the end result was a clear 6-2 against Rob Cross. The junior world champion is the first finalist at the Darts World Cup in London for the duel on Wednesday evening (9 p.m., Sport1 and DAZN live).
Littler, who averaged 106.08 points, is also only the third unseeded player to reach a World Cup final after Kirk Shepherd (2008) and Simon Whitlock (2010). A rare story, yet completely unique. Because Shepherd was 21 at the time, Whitlock was already 40. But Littler is 16.
His opponent, 17 years his senior, had started hopefully and won his throw-off set, but missed the win in the second round on the bullseye, which Littler then won in the decider. The young Englishman confirmed his tournament average early on, being the only World Cup participant to exceed the 100 mark after the quarterfinals with 100.3 points.
Littler with seven errors in four sets
Cross had come into the match with an average of 109 points significantly better than in his 5:4 against Chris Dobey when he was 0:4 behind, but Littler presented himself as the better player overall, only needing one check dart the double 4 to the break and finalized the 2-0 spectacularly with a 142 high finish. It was the fourth leg in a row and paved the way for a 2-1 lead in sets.
In – and out: Luke Littler (left) threw himself into the final, Rob Cross was eliminated despite a strong performance
Source: dpa/Zac Goodwin
The 16-year-old delivered the next highlight just one sentence later. When he was threatened with losing serve at 1:1, Littler checked 149 to make it 2:1 and retained his throw advantage, which he used in the decider for his third set. Even Cross playing six perfect darts had no consequences as Littler ended the leg after eleven darts on double 16. Pure world class. Cross was now averaging 108.16 points, Littler was averaging 103.88, who also hit an incredible 64.7 percent of his 17 double court attempts.
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Only seven missed throws in four sets, but suddenly eight in set five, which Cross used to win his second set thanks to a 138 high finish to make it 1-1. A 1:4 would have meant the preliminary decision, but Littler’s missed set darts on double 20 enabled the 33-year-old to make it 2:3. It was already the fourth set, which was only decided in the decider.
Littler’s slight weaknesses on doubles only lasted one more leg. “The Nuke” was no longer igniting on tops, missed the break twice in set six, but after another increase in performance was once again unreachable for his opponent, won the next two rounds 3:1 and was ahead 5:2.
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The match was about to end when Littler showed something spectacular again: 132 points to make it 1-0 in set eight, which he closed in the decider in 14 darts to make it 6-2.
Littler secured £200,000 in prize money and finished in the top 32 before his first season on the professional tour begins in February. A crazy constellation. He might get a few tips from Cross for his first World Cup final. He became world champion on his debut in 2018 and now experienced something of a rebirth on the big stage at Alexandra Palace. After his title six years ago, he never got past the round of 16 again
Darts World Cup, semi-finals
Rob Cross (ENG/8) – Luke Littler (ENG) 2:6 (3:2; 2:3; 1:3; 2:3; 3:2; 1:3; 1:3; 2:3)
Scott Williams (ENG) – Luke Humphries (ENG/3)
