Luke Littler has booked his place in a third consecutive World Darts Championship final, delivering a commanding performance to defeat Ryan Searle 6-1 in the semi-final at Alexandra Palace on Thursday night.
Littler's dominant Ally Pally display
The reigning world champion, known as 'The Nuke', showcased his formidable talent on the iconic stage. Despite dropping the opening set, Littler quickly seized control of the match. The pivotal moment arrived in the third set when Searle, nicknamed 'Heavy Metal', missed a crucial bullseye setup, landing only in the outer bull. Littler pounced on the error, checking out on double top to break throw and shift the momentum decisively in his favour.
From that point, Littler was unstoppable. He powered through the next two sets, maintaining a stunning three-dart average well over 100. His performance peaked in the fourth set with an exceptional average of 109.98. He continued his relentless march towards the final, winning another set without conceding a single leg.
Perfect leg bid and crowd reaction
The world number one even threatened a perfect nine-dart leg in the following set, hitting eight perfect darts before Searle snatched the leg with a spectacular 170 checkout, known as the 'Big Fish'. Unfazed, Littler maintained his composure to close out a comprehensive victory.
His entrance to the stage was notable, as he acknowledged a mixed reception from the crowd. This followed recent controversy where Littler had sarcastically thanked fans for "paying for" his prize money after being booed during his last-16 win over Rob Cross. His meteoric rise has been a key factor in the tournament's winner's prize being raised to a record £1 million this year.
Looking ahead to the final
With this emphatic win, Luke Littler now awaits the winner of the second semi-final between veteran Gary Anderson and rising star Gian van Veen. The final will take place on Saturday at Alexandra Palace, where Littler will aim to defend his title and cement his status as the sport's dominant force.
