Luke Littler ignored a hostile reception in Liverpool to defeat Luke Humphries 6-2 in their Premier League quarter-final on Thursday night.
The back-to-back world champion was heavily booed as he walked onto the stage and faced jeers throughout the match, but he silenced the crowd with a dominant performance against his biggest rival.
Littler has never been warmly received on Merseyside, largely due to his Manchester United allegiance and his social media jabs at Liverpool. However, the animosity has intensified in recent weeks following his spat with Gian van Veen in Manchester.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, Littler let his darts do the talking, dispatching the defending champion with a solid display. Victory sets up a semi-final clash with Michael van Gerwen, who beat Josh Rock in his quarter-final.
A highly anticipated rematch between Littler and Van Veen, who turns 24 on Thursday, could occur in the final if Van Veen overcomes Jonny Clayton in the semi-final.
For Humphries, the defeat deals a significant blow to his hopes of qualifying for the play-offs in London at the end of May.
