Luke Littler will face Gian van Veen in the final of the World Darts Championship after both won their semi-finals on Friday night. Littler defeated Ryan Searle 6-1 with an average of 105.4, while Van Veen overcame two-time champion Gary Anderson 6-3 in a dramatic contest.
Van Veen's victory was particularly hard-fought, as he built a 4-1 lead before Anderson fought back. The deciding leg of the ninth set saw Van Veen hit a 180 and a 140 against the darts to seal the win. Anderson averaged 103 and hit 14 maximums but could not prevent the Dutchman from advancing.
The fifth set was described as one of the greatest in the tournament's history, with both players hitting 170 finishes. Van Veen's finishing was key, as he converted 12 of his first 15 attempts at double and is the best on the tour by almost three percentage points.
Littler, meanwhile, cruised through his semi-final, appearing annoyed that he failed to hit a nine-dart finish. He averaged over 100 in every set and has been the favourite throughout the tournament. The final will be a contrast in styles: Littler's natural, flowing action against Van Veen's more deliberate, technical approach.
Van Veen, who has overcome dartitis and self-doubt, described his journey as one of 'doubt, misgiving, setback, recalibration, renewal'. Littler, at 18, has been described as a 'swaggering, vaping god of darts' with an air of inevitability about him.
