01 January 2024 , 18:09
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Luke Littler continues to stun darts pundits, fans and players alike, with the 16-year-old now reaching the semi-finals of the PDC World Championships.
Littler is making his debut in the tournament, but demolished Brendan Dolan in the quarter-finals to make it to the final four. The Englishman raced into a 4-0 lead on sets, before seeing out a 5-1 win to continue his dream run at Ally Pally.
'The Nuke' defeated Christian Kist 3-0 in round one, beat Andrew Gilding 3-1 in round two, demolished Matt Campbell 4-1 in round three before then seeing off former world champion Raymond van Barneveld in the Last 16. Here, Mirror Sport brings you all you need to know ahead of Littler's appearance in the semi-finals.
When does Luke Littler play next?
Littler's semi-final clash will come on 2 January 2024 at Alexandra Palace. Both last-four ties will be held in the evening session, which gets underway at 7.30pm.
Who does he play?
Littler will face 2018 world champion Rob 'Voltage' Cross in the semi-finals. It will be Cross' first appearance in the final four since he won the tournament in his debut outing six years ago.
Wayne Mardle makes World Darts title prediction as last-eight gets underway
Cross was handed a bye into round two, where he eased to a 3-0 win over Thibault Tricole. The Englishman survived a scare to beat Jeffrey de Graaf 4-2 in round three, before demolishing Jonny Clayton 4-0 in the last 16.
That set up a quarter-final clash with Chris Dobey, which produced one of the greatest games ever seen at Ally Pally. Dobey had raced into a 4-0 lead on sets, but Cross produced a miraculous comeback to win 5-4 and reach the semi-finals.
How to watch
The whole semi-final session will be screened live on Sky Sports on their 'Darts' channel. The broadcaster's coverage will start at 7.30pm and will run until the conclusion of the second semi-final.
Littler's view
Littler is trying to keep his feet on the ground as his momentum in the tournament continues to grow. The 16-year-old revealed his delight at getting the chance to take on Cross on Tuesday.
“He was unbelievable on debut and so am I. I can’t wait to play him. I’m in the semi-final on my debut. I’m glad to be here, I’ve earned it. If I keep it up, I’ve got a good chance [of winning] if I keep it up," Littler said.
"I’m definitely thinking about winning the title. At 4-0 I thought you’re just one away. Then Brendan came back. My board management is probably one of the best. I know what I’m going for, I know when to settle.”