World Darts Championship - Littler against everyone: Darts teen reaches for World Championship sensation
The PDC declared Luke Littler a "superstar" immediately after his spectacular victory over his idol Raymond van Barneveld.
Even before his clear 1:4 defeat against the 16-year-old, Van Barneveld himself reminded us of former tennis star Boris Becker and his triumph at Wimbledon at the age of just 17: The hype surrounding the youngster seems to know no bounds.
England's media are reporting non-stop these days about Littler, who has won his first four World Championship matches in commanding fashion as a debutant. As the quarter-finals approach, the question now is: can Littler really make the big time at the World Cup in London?
The youngster
In terms of sporting performance, the answer is yes, definitely. Of the players remaining in the tournament, Littler has played the highest and second-highest points average in a single game.
"I feel absolutely no nerves. It was unbelievable again," said Littler after clearly defeating his role model van Barneveld. He goes into his quarter-final against Brendan Dolan from Northern Ireland as the clear favorite. Three wins on January 1, 2 and 3 - and the sporting sensation in London would be perfect. The bookmakers already see him as the second favorite for the title.
The top favorites
The Dutchman Michael van Gerwen, who is going for his fourth World Championship title after 2014, 2017 and 2019, is in the top spot. Unlike his long-time rivals Gerwyn Price (Wales) and Peter Wright (Scotland), who have already failed to win, van Gerwen has yet to lose a set in the tournament at Alexandra Palace.
A possible semi-final between van Gerwen and Luke Humphries, who won by far the most prize money in 2023, is eagerly awaited. The winner would not only progress to the World Championship final, but would also take over the number one status from dethroned world champion Michael Smith.
England's second row
Chris Dobey and former world champion Rob Cross are part of England's strong second tier behind former champions Smith and Humphries. Dobey and Cross will face each other directly in the first quarter-final. Both impressed with clear victories in the round of 16 and the duel is considered to be completely open.
Dave Chisnall is also part of this second row. Following victories over German number one Gabriel Clemens (4:1) and Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney (4:2), Chisnall is hoping to reach the World Championship semi-finals as he did in 2021. Back then, he defeated Primus van Gerwen 5-0 after a gala performance. It will probably take a similar performance to defeat Humphries.
The criticized
Scott Williams is one of the guys of this World Championship - but not only in a positive sense. The Englishman attracted a lot of criticism with his World War II comparison. Williams has since apologized publicly several times and deleted his profile on X (formerly Twitter). In sporting terms, Williams has performed strongly so far. Nevertheless, he is the clear underdog in the duel with top favorite van Gerwen.
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Source: www.stern.de
