Littler nine-darter helps him into final with Wade

Luke Littler defeated Josh Rock 17-14 to reach a World Matchplay final against James Wade on Sunday.

Before completing the feat, the 18-year-old world champion was 6-1 behind Rock, who had already hit two 180s.

It can claim to be the tournament’s greatest leg with 15 flawless darts.

“It undoubtedly sparked my life,” I said. Littler said, “I didn’t want to give it big because I was playing awfully.”

With a 20-18 victory over Jonny Clayton of Wales in an epic encounter at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, his fellow Englishman Wade, 42, made it to his seventh Matchplay final.

The teenager will aim to win the Triple Crown on Sunday, joining Gary Anderson, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, and Phil Taylor, who are the other players.

Littler, who won the Premier League in May 2024 before claiming his World Championship victory in January, wants to complete the treble in less than a year.

He said, “I’ve won many finals and majors, but this is the big one right now, it all comes down to Sunday.”

The UK Open final in March, which Littler won 11-2, will be a repeat of that one.

Rock, 24, a World Cup winner with Northern Ireland, came out strong and gave up a 5-0 lead in the opening session, which looked unlikely.

Then came Littler’s brilliant nine-darter, which, after Van Gerwen had just missed with his ninth dart, made me think of darts with the greatest leg. Michael Smith did the same in the 2023 World Championship final.

According to Sky Sports’ pundit Wayne Mardle, “That is the second-best leg you will ever see in your life.”

The tournament’s ten-darter, which started in 1994, was the first this year, and the tenth this year.

Littler may have only graciously accepted it, but Littler quickly put together a much-improved performance, winning seven of the next eight legs 11-9 to lead.

Rock cut the lead to 14-12 with consecutive checkouts of 170 and 120, but Littler overcame with a score of 107.5% over his opponent’s 180 count, which he had to take down 15-14. 29 is a Matchplay record, which is the highest ever tally.

Before Clayton pulled off six more legs to make overtime, Wade was one leg away from winning at 16-10.

Wade has reached the final six times before losing only once, 18 years ago.

He had a strong semi-final run, beating the bull for a 161 checkout to give him a 3-1 lead, but there was little indication of the thriller that was about to unfold.

In the 12th leg, Clayton made the move again, but only to beat his rival 8-4.

Wade, who arguably never won a world championship, held onto his position until he was a leg-first, then abruptly lost the next six as Clayton draw level at 16-16.

Wade could have been excused for buckling under Clayton’s momentum, but he did so with another 161 to take the lead once more. Even though his rivals leveled 17-17 and 18-18, he fought back to earn a memorable victory with imminent death.

Women’s World Matchplay (13: 00 BST)

Best of seven legs in the quarter-finals

Kirsi Viinikainen and Beau Greaves

Robyn Byrne vs. Lisa Ashton

Lorraine Winstanley v. Noa-Lynn van Leuven

Gemma Hayter vs. Fallon Sherrock

Best of nine legs in the semi-finals

Ashton or Byrne vs. Greaves or Viinikainen

Winstanley or Van Leuven vs. Sherrock or Hayter

Final (best of 11 legs, 16: 00)

Men’s Matchplay final (20: 15, best of 35 legs)