Luke Littler secured his place in the third round of the PDC World Darts Championship on Sunday evening.
The 18-year-old defending champion defeated David Davies 3-0 at Alexandra Palace despite falling well short of his usual standards.
He acknowledged fortune played its part, with the Welsh underdog squandering 16 attempts at doubles throughout the match.
After the match, Littler said: “I was getting away with it, he missed 16 darts at double, but every one he missed was crucial, if he hit them it was a completely different game.”
The victory extended his winning run to 15 consecutive senior matches, stretching back to late October.
Davies, ranked 144th in the world and working as an NHS area manager from Denbigh, actually had the better of the opening set but crumbled when it mattered most.
The Welshman had five opportunities to claim the first set but failed to convert any of them, seemingly overawed by the occasion of facing the sport’s biggest star.
His struggles continued into the second set, where he again missed crucial chances to establish a 2-1 lead in legs.
Luke Littler secured his place in the third round of the PDC World Darts Championship on Sunday evening
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Once those opportunities passed, Littler found his rhythm.
The Warrington thrower elevated his performance to an average exceeding 100, highlighted by an impressive 144 checkout in the second set.
Earlier in the evening, Gerwyn Price suffered a stunning elimination at the hands of Wesley Plaisier, ranked 92nd globally, in the tournament’s most significant upset so far.
The 2021 champion was expected to meet Littler in the quarter-finals, having beaten the teenager six consecutive times in 2024 and 2025.
The 18-year-old defending champion defeated David Davies 3-0 at Alexandra Palace despite falling well short of his usual standards
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PA
Instead, the Dutchman produced a commanding display to dispatch Price 3-0, despite the Welshman posting a superior average of 95.83.
Plaisier said: “I still can’t believe it, I’m so over the moon. It’s my biggest victory ever, I don’t know how I did it.”
Price’s departure marks his earliest exit from the championship in seven years.
Littler will return to Alexandra Palace after Christmas to face Mensur Suljovic, who defeated Joe Cullen 3-1 in a controversial encounter marred by accusations of deliberate slow play.
The victory extended his winning run to 15 consecutive senior matches
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PA
The teenager revealed Suljovic had messaged him when the draw was made, predicting their third-round meeting.
Should he progress, a potential last-16 clash with 2018 champion Rob Cross awaits.
Littler is bidding to join an elite group comprising Eric Bristow, Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson as the only players to retain a PDC world title.
He said: “Everyone is on about the £1million, it’s there in front of you, but back-to-back is the only thing I want.”
