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Luke Littler continues record-breaking run at the World Championship as Williams knocks out Noppert

Jamie Shaw in World Darts Championship 22 Dec 2023

Luke Littler celebrates (Photo by Kieran Cleeves/PDC)

Luke Littler extended his dream debut run at the PDC World Championship with victory over Andrew Gilding to progress to the Last 32 at Alexandra Palace.

The 16-year-old sensation blitzed past Christian Kist in his opener with a 106 average less than 24 hours earlier, but was forced to dig deep to dispatch UK Open champion Gilding on Thursday.

The World Youth champion averaged 92.6 and landed five 180s as he closed out a 3-1 win to set up a post-Christmas clash with Canada’s Matt Campbell.

After having his throw broken in the opening leg, Littler quickly regained his composure to edge the opening set in a decider.

From there, it was a story of missed doubles at crucial moments for Gilding as he fluffed four darts for the set over two legs as Littler recovered from 2-1 down to pinch the second and doubles his lead.

Gilding then found his groove as he raced to the third set in three straight legs to halve the deficit, but Littler again showed his battling spirit as he took the fourth set 3-1 to wrap up another famous victory.

“I’m over the moon,” said Littler, a winner of five Development Tour titles in 2023.

“I’m surprised it didn’t go to a last set, and that’s what I was saying to myself – don’t let that happen.

“I was nervous, but somehow my doubles were going in. I could have wrapped it up earlier but I’m just happy to get over the line.”

“I’ve overachieved once again. I just wanted to come here to win and then to come back after Christmas, and I’m doing that.”

2018 World Champion Rob Cross defied a sluggish start to kick off his title pursuit with a straight sets victory over French trailblazer Thibault Tricole.

Cross capitalised on a doubling horror-show from Tricole to claim a scrappy opening set without reply, and after converting a clinical 114 checkout to double his lead, ‘Voltage’ completed another clean sweep in set three to seal his progress.

“I’m not very happy with my performance, but a win is a win,” said Cross, one of six former champions left in the tournament.

“I was more nervous than I’ve ever been on this stage. I got so enthused with the crowd that I lost my focus, but I’m very grateful to be through.

“I’m looking forward to Christmas now, and hopefully I can be a different animal when I come back.”

The shock of the night came from Scott Williams, as he dumped out seventh seed Danny Noppert in straight sets.

Williams almost sent the Ally Pally crowd into pandemonium in the second set as he wired double 18 for an incredible nine-dart leg, which saw him attempt an unconventional T16, T19, D18 combination finish to seal it.

Noppert made a sensational start by landing a 170 checkout in the opening leg, but from there his double hitting let him down compared to Williams’ superior finishing, which saw him win the first two sets in a deciding leg, before taking the third set 3-1 to move into the Last 32 for the first time.

Gabriel Clemens, semi-finalist 12 months ago, made a positive start to his campaign as he charged past Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung 3-1.

The German number one raced into a 2-0 lead, sealing the first set with a clinical 140 checkout, before doubling his lead with a 120 checkout in a second set decider.

Leung, who landed 11 maximums in his First Round scalp of Gian van Veen, bounced back by taking the third set in three straight legs, but Clemens returned the favour in the fourth to delight the strong German contingent inside Ally Pally.

Australian number one Damon Heta rounded off the evening with a hard-fought 3-1 win over Martin Lukeman.

Heta edged a crucial first set in a deciding leg thanks to a 68 finish, before racing through the second set without reply from a struggling Lukeman.

Lukeman, though, fought back in the third to get off the mark, but Heta quickly extinguished any hopes of a comeback by clinching the fourth set without reply.

Elsewhere, Madars Razma will take on World Champion Michael Smith for a place in the Last 16 after breaking new ground at Alexandra Palace with a 3-1 win over Mike De Decker.

The Latvian produced a trio of 15-darters to strike the first blow, and while De Decker responded to level, Razma won the next two sets in last-leg shoot-outs to reach round three for the first time in his career.

Thursday’s action also saw the first round draw to a close in the capital, as Berry van Peer celebrated victory on his World Championship debut with a deciding set success against Luke Woodhouse.

Van Peer, who secured top spot on the 2023 Challenge Tour Order of Merit, defied six 180s from Woodhouse to triumph in a rollercoaster affair, which sets up a second round clash against Northern Ireland number one Josh Rock.

Mickey Mansell will face his former World Cup partner Brendan Dolan in Round Two after overcoming China’s number one Xiaochen Zong in straight sets in the day’s opening fixture.

World Darts Championship 2023/24 Day Seven Results

Thursday December 21

Afternoon Session
Mickey Mansell 3-0 Xiaochen Zong (R1)
Luke Woodhouse 2-3 Berry van Peer (R1)
Madars Razma 3-1 Mike De Decker (R2)
Rob Cross 3-0 Thibault Tricole (R2)

Second Round

Evening Session
Andrew Gilding 1-3 Luke Littler
Danny Noppert 0-3 Scott Williams
Gabriel Clemens 3-1 Man Lok Leung
Damon Heta 3-1 Martin Lukeman

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Luke Littler continues record-breaking run at the World Championship as Williams knocks out Noppert

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