LONDON (Reuters) – Sixteen-year-old Luke Littler made history by becoming the youngest player to reach the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship. He secured a 5-1 victory over Brendan Dolan at Alexandra Palace on Monday.
Although Littler had a shaky start, losing the first two legs of the opening set, he quickly found his footing and managed to clinch the first set. He then had little trouble in defeating 50-year-old Dolan from Northern Ireland.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Littler expressed his excitement, saying, “Wow. I’m in the semi-final on my debut. If I keep it up, I’ve got a good chance. Now I am dreaming! I’m two games away. I’m definitely thinking about lifting the title.”
The young English darts player is now set to face 2018 winner Rob Cross in the semi-finals. Cross made a remarkable comeback from being 4-0 down to beat Chris Dobey 5-4 in their quarter-final match earlier on Monday.
Reflecting on his comeback, Cross told Sky Sports, “4-0 down and I’ve not played. I didn’t feel like myself. I just pushed on. Credit to Chris early on, he gave me a kick in the mouth. It’s all about me, though. I still believed even when I was 4-0 down. I have got nerves of steel.”
Looking ahead to his potential match against Littler, Cross acknowledged the young player’s talent and bright future, stating, “If I play Luke Littler in the semis… look, he is 16 and whatever he achieves he has a bright future. If he comes through that he will probably be the favourite.”
Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Pritha Sarkar
