Cross ready to be villain again in bid to end Littler's World Championship dream

02 January 2024 , 14:31

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Cross ready to be villain again in bid to end Littler's World Championship dream

Rob Cross is set to face 16-year-old sensation Luke Littler in the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship and has hailed the teenager as a "breath of fresh air" for the sport.

Littler has been the standout story this tournament in his debut appearance, having beaten his hero Raymond van Barneveld 4-1 in the last 16 and ruthlessly defeated Brendan Dolan 5-1 in the quarter-finals.

However, Cross looks set to be Littler's toughest challenge yet, having won the tournament as a debutant himself back in 2018. Cross produced one of the greatest comebacks in the sport's history to beat Chris Dobey 5-4 in his last match, becoming the first player to win a quarter-final match at the World Championships after going 4-0 down.

And while the crowd at Alexandra Palace was firmly behind Cross as he came from behind to beat Dobey, the 33-year-old is expecting to be the villain when he takes on Littler. "As the game developed, I managed to get a set under my belt that settled me," he told GB News of his quarter-final win.

"The crowd were amazing. They picked me up yesterday when I needed it. They really helped me yesterday. But I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be not the crowd favourite tonight though!"

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Cross previously played spoiler at the 2018 tournament, when he took on the legendary Phil Taylor in the final after 'The Power' had announced he would be retiring. Cross won the match 7-2 and hoping to win the tournament again this year.

Rob Cross is set to face Luke Littler in the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship (Getty Images)

"Luke is a breath of fresh air," he said of his semi-final opponent. "You know, he's incredible. Actually, I think it's brilliant what he's achieved in the game. And it's going to be a really tight one tonight. But I'm going to do my best tonight, and put my best foot forward."

Littler, meanwhile, is feeling very confident about his chances of going all the way. "It's going to take a lot to stop me," he said. "It feels unbelievable. I never thought I would have got to the semis on my debut year.

"It's crazy watching myself at 18 months or two years old in a nappy, but it has all paid off. One day we went to a shop with my parents and I pointed to a magnetic dartboard because they look similar. The rest is history."

Matthew Cooper