Luke Littler will take the oche at Alexandra Palace on Monday evening as the defending champion aims to move within three wins of a second World Darts Championship crown. The 18-year-old faces Rob Cross in the fourth round after a dominant 4-0 victory over Mensur Suljovic on Saturday.
The Monday schedule begins with the conclusion of the third round during the afternoon session. Four matches are scheduled: Justin Hood takes on Ryan Meikle, Ricky Evans faces debutant Charlie Manby, Nathan Aspinall meets Kevin Doets, and Josh Rock plays Callan Rydz. The latter match, however, will be played in the evening session as it opens the fourth round.
Monday evening will see three fourth-round ties: Rock against Rydz, Littler versus Cross, and James Hurrell against Ryan Searle. Hurrell caused a major upset in the third round by defeating third seed Stephen Bunting.
The tournament has expanded this year with a prize fund of £5 million. The first round was played over nine days, followed by four days of second-round action before Christmas. The fourth round will be completed before the Hogmanay break, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final taking place from January 1-3, 2026.
Littler, who has won 10 sets without reply in his three matches so far, headlines the evening session. Rob Cross, the 2018 champion, will provide a stern test. The winner will face either Hurrell or Searle in the quarter-finals.
