Sporting Life
Luke Littler was emotional after his opening 3-1 win
Luke Littler was emotional after his opening 3-1 win

Darts results: Luke Littler produces record average and tears in dramatic World Championship win

By Sporting Life
Darts
Sun December 22, 2024 · 4h ago

Luke Littler came within millimetres of a nine-dart finish but did bag another record on his way to an emotional opening win at the World Darts Championship.

The pre-tournament favourite came within a whisker of a perfect leg in a 3-1 victory against Ryan Meikle, with his average of 140.91 for the fourth set a new World Championship record.

It was a far cry from a stuttering opening set in which his opponent missed darts to move ahead, before Meikle levelled in the second to threaten the unfathomable as Littler made his long-awaited entrance.

But the teenage superstar found his range in set three before finding record-breaking levels to romp to victory, just missing double 12 for a nine-dart leg midway through what proved to be the final set that he wrapped up in just 32 darts.

This broke the previous record of 136.64 set by Gerwyn Price (11 darts, 12 darts, 10 darts) during the World Championship final against Gary Anderson back in 2021.

Perhaps those exertions explain why he was visibly emotional at the end of the match, five days after he'd been crowned BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

Littler left the stage to embrace his parents and will return after Christmas with his status as favourite only underlined by a performance which began in first gear, but ended in one that perhaps only Luke Humphries can match.

He will now play Ritchie Edhouse or Ian White in the third round.

“It was the toughest game I have played, but as a player you have got to get over the line,” Littler said. “It was game on and bottom’s gone for me.

“The last set I don’t know where I pulled it from. I just had to fight until the end. It was good to be back, and get on the stage, nervous, I had to find it somewhere. I know I have got it.

“As soon as the question came on stage and then boom, the tears came. It was just a bit too much to speak on stage. It is the worst game I have played, I have never felt anything like that tonight.”

Raymond van Barneveld suffered one of his most disappointing Ally Pally defeats as he crashed out to world number 76 Nick Kenny.

The five-time world champion, who was beaten in the fourth round by Littler last year, went down 3-1 to the Welshman, who was in tears after his victory.

Kenny nearly made a mess of it, though, as he got the job done on his ninth match dart to set up a third round meeting with world number one Luke Humphries.

“It’s surreal, there’s a bit more to it, I have kept my tour card, I believe,” Kenny said.

“It was an absolute privilege to play Raymond van Barneveld on such a stage, he wasn’t at his best but who cares really?

“It is the biggest win of my life by far, it gives me another two years on tour. There was a lot more riding on it personally, I can really move on and really sort myself out.”

Danny Noppert was also a high-profile casualty as the 13th seed went down 3-1 to Ryan Joyce.

Earlier in the day, last year’s quarter-finalist Chris Dobey got his campaign under way with a 3-1 win over Alexander Merkx.

There were also routine wins for Karel Sedlacek, Alexis Toylo and Brendan Dolan.

Saturday’s final match saw Damon Heta also miss double 12 to fall just short of a nine-dart finish as he beat Connor Scutt 3-1.

Saturday results and Sunday schedule

Saturday December 21
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

  • Karel Sedlacek 0-3 Rhys Griffin (R1)
  • Richard Veenstra 0-3 Alexis Toylo (R1)
  • Brendan Dolan 3-0 Lok Yin Lee (R2)
  • Chris Dobey 3-1 Alexander Merkx (R2)

Evening Session (7pm GMT)
Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

  • Danny Noppert 1-3 Ryan Joyce (R2)
  • Raymond van Barneveld 1-3 Nick Kenny (R2)
  • Luke Littler 3-1 Ryan Meikle (R2)
  • Damon Heta 3-1 Connor Scutt (R2)

Sunday December 22
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

  • Ryan Searle v Matt Campbell (R2)
  • Dirk van Duijvenbode v Madars Razma (R2)
  • Joe Cullen v Wessel Nijman (R2)
  • Ritchie Edhouse v Ian White (R2)

Evening Session (7pm GMT)
Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

  • Martin Schindler v Callan Rydz (R2)
  • Ross Smith v Nebrida (R2)
  • Gary Anderson v Jeffrey De Graaf (R2)
  • Dimitri Van den Bergh v Dylan Slevin (R2)

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