World Darts Championship: Luke Littler beats Ian White as Michael van Gerwen, Chris Dobey win at the Alexandra Palace | Darts News

Luke Littler is thru to the fourth spherical of the World Darts Championship after overcoming one other robust check to defeat Ian White 4-1 on the Alexandra Palace.

The pre-tournament favorite got here via a decent opening set however misplaced the second to White, who missed darts to win three of the primary 4 units and threaten a well-known upset in opposition to the fourth seed.

Littler raced via the third set in simply 39 darts and punished a missed set dart from White to wrap up the fourth with a 70 checkout, then broke White within the subsequent earlier than closing out victory with a 14-darter.

Littler posted a 97.84 common and 12 maximums in opposition to White, with the 17-year-old avoiding a repeat of the feelings seen in his second-round win in opposition to Ryan Meikle and reserving a last-16 assembly with Ryan Joyce on Monday.

Michael van Gerwen additionally secured his place within the fourth spherical as he got here again from a set right down to beat Brendan Dolan 4-2, with Chris Dobey additionally via after seeing off Josh Rock by the identical margin.

How Littler got here via White check

Littler opened with a scrappy 20-dart maintain however trailed when White capitalised on 5 missed darts at double to interrupt him, just for ‘Diamond’ to overlook a set dart at tops earlier than Littler snatched the opener with a 12-darter in a final-leg decider.

The pair exchanged a number of breaks of throw in one other cagey second, the place Littler produced a 114 checkout earlier than White took the subsequent leg in opposition to the darts to degree, however momentum moved again Littler’s method within the third.

Littler adopted 13 and 14-dart legs by pinning bullseye for an 88 checkout to finish a dominant third set, with the ‘Nuke’ profiting from one other missed set dart from White within the remaining leg of the fourth to discover a 70 checkout and open a two-set buffer.

{The teenager} continued to overlook doubles within the fifth set to boost White’s hopes of extending the competition, then threatened to shut out victory with the ‘Huge Fish’ earlier than breaking his opponent with a 25-finish.

“It was robust,” Littler advised Sky Sports activities. “Ian threw all the things at me. If I hit a 180, he hit again with a 180 so I needed to keep switched on. It was only a case of settling in fast. The primary set was OK. However after the primary break I used to be actually up for it.

“I do not suppose D10 preferred me tonight and I did not like them! I used to be pondering of switching as much as D18 or D16 however I caught on the doubles I do know and D10 received me house.”

MVG sees off Dolan as Dobey marches on

Van Gerwen appeared on track to take the opening set when he claimed a break of throw within the third leg, just for Dolan to fireplace back-to-back 15-darters – together with an 86 end on the bullseye – to seize a shock lead.

The Dutchman got here via a scrappy 21-dart leg – regardless of lacking seven darts at double – however wrapped up the second in emphatic vogue within the subsequent leg, firing in a 129 checkout for a 12-dart break, earlier than rapidly taking management of the competition.

Van Gerwen gained eight consecutive legs – together with a superb 149 checkout in the beginning of the fourth – to win the subsequent two units in straight legs, just for Dolan to capitalise on wayward ending from the three-time world champion to interrupt and declare a set again within the fifth.

Dolan produced a superb 123 checkout on the bullseye and missed a dart within the subsequent leg to take the competition to a final-set decider, as Van Gerwen survived to carry throw and safe his spot within the subsequent spherical.

“It was actually onerous, a extremely troublesome recreation,” Van Gerwen advised Sky Sports activities. “I attempted to punish him on the proper moments and I wasn’t able to doing it. I can solely blame myself for that. I am so glad that D8 went in on the finish.”

The opening match of the night additionally produced a decent encounter, the place Dobey got here from 2-1 down to assert a 4-2 victory over Rock and e book a last-16 assembly in opposition to both Kevin Doets or Krzysztof Ratajski.

Dobey responded to shedding the third set by cruising via the fourth in straight legs and survived Rock lacking a set dart within the fifth to edge a final-leg decider, earlier than signing off victory with a superb double-double end on the 19s and 96 checkout.

Afternoon round-up: Aspinall breezes into last-16

Nathan Aspinall cruised via to the final 16 for the primary time in 5 years after thrashing Andrew Gilding in straight units, setting him up with a gathering in opposition to Ricardo Pietreczko on Monday.

Aspinall broke Gilding twice within the opening set and got here via final-leg deciders to win the subsequent two, earlier than closing out a powerful win – the place he registered a 92.17 common and was scientific on the doubles – by taking out tops for a 14-dart break.

“I am glad I may end,” Aspinall advised Sky Sports activities. “Usually I am actually unhealthy at ending, that is usually why I lose. Usually my scoring’s not there. The final two video games I’ve performed, I’ve completed rather well, not scored nice.”

Pietreczko continued his spectacular World Championship by brushing apart final 12 months’s semi-finalist Scott Williams, profitable each the primary two units and racing via the fourth in straight legs earlier than wrapping up a 4-1 victory with a surprising 121 checkout on the bullseye.

The opposite match of the session went to a final-set decider, with Joyce squandering a two-set lead in opposition to Ryan Searle earlier than recovering to edge via to the fourth spherical for the primary time since 2019.

“It was only a actually robust match,” Joyce advised Sky Sports activities. “I attempted all the things ultimately to get via and I am so happy that I managed to seek out one thing within the tank in that final set.”

What’s arising subsequent?

The third spherical concludes on Sunday, with Dimitri van den Bergh headlining the afternoon session in opposition to Callan Rydz after Kevin Doets faces Krzysztof Ratajski and Jeffrey de Graff performs Paolo Nebrida at 12.30pm

Ricky Evans takes on Robert Owen to open the night session from 7pm, the ultimate last-32 match of the match, earlier than the fourth spherical begins later that night with an all-Welsh showdown between Jonny Clayton and former world champion Gerwyn Value.

Defending champion Luke Humphries then faces two-time world champion within the remaining match of the night time, with the remaining six fourth-round matches being performed on Monday earlier than the quarter-finals happen – throughout two classes – on New 12 months’s Day.

Who will win the Paddy Energy World Darts Championship? Watch each match solely dwell till January 3 on Sky Sports activities’ devoted darts channel. Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.