Luke Littler stands on the brink of darts history, aiming to secure a place in his third consecutive PDC World Darts Championship final. The reigning champion faces Ryan Searle in the semi-finals at London's Alexandra Palace this evening.
Littler's Celebrity Cheerleader
Following his quarter-final victory over Krzysztof Ratajski, Littler revealed he hopes his friend, Celebrity Jungle winner Angry Ginge, will be in the audience to support him. The darts star, speaking after his last-four triumph, said he plans to message the reality TV personality, whose real name is Morgan Burtwhistle.
"I'll have to see what he's doing tomorrow, see if he's busy," Littler stated. "If he's not busy then we'll have to get him down. He's not been yet, so hopefully I can message him after this and see if he wants to come down."
Nine-Darter Ambition and Searle Challenge
The teenage sensation, who has taken the sport by storm, also expressed his desire to hit a nine-darter at this year's tournament, a feat yet to be achieved in this championship. Littler, who has four televised nine-darters to his name, acknowledged the crowd's role. "Obviously, do the fans want the nine-darter for us or themselves? Themselves!" he joked.
His semi-final opponent, Ryan Searle, presents a unique challenge. Searle has spoken openly about living with Dominant Optic Atrophy (DOA), a genetic condition that limits his vision to about six feet. Littler praised his opponent's ability, saying, "I know he does struggle. But what he can throw, the 180s the ton-plus averages, with the problems he's got, it's unreal."
Prepared for the Ultimate Test
Littler is acutely aware that opponents raise their game when facing the world champion. He reflected on the pressure, noting, "The biggest thing is that players are always going to turn up somehow. They're always going to push me and they're always going to play better than they did last round... I've always got to be ready for it."
The pair last met at July's World Matchplay in Blackpool, where Littler secured a 10-2 victory. While hoping for another dominant performance, the champion remains respectful. "It was one-sided at the Matchplay and I want it to be one-sided again," he admitted. "I just want to get the job done and play well. But if Ryan does test me, I'm up for it."
The first semi-final between Luke Littler and Ryan Searle is scheduled for this evening at Alexandra Palace, with the match format being the best of 11 sets. The winner will face either Gary Anderson or Gian van Veen in the final for the Sid Waddell Trophy.
