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Luke Littler and Luke Humphries face World Championship final rematch at Dutch Darts Masters
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will meet in a World Darts Championship final rematch after both reached the TOTO Dutch Darts Masters quarter-finals.
The 17-year-old Littler, who claimed his first senior television title at last week’s Bahrain Darts Masters, cruised into the last eight in Den Bosch with a 6-2 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode in their first-round encounter.
Reigning world champion Humphries then confirmed his place in the next round as he breezed past Jermaine Wattimena with a 6-0 win, setting up another showdown with Littler after their epic final at Alexandra Palace.
No 1 seed Littler set the tone against Van Duijvenbode with a 180 first up in the opening leg of the first-to-six encounter and went double 20, double 10 to take out 60 and establish an early lead.
A break of throw after finishing on double top saw the teenager go 2-0 up, but Van Duijvenbode broke straight back in the third leg with a double 10 finish to get on the board.
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Highlights of the 2024 World Darts Championship final between World number one Luke Humphries and teenage sensation Luke Littler
A 15-dart leg in the fourth saw Littler move two legs clear again with his second break of throw and that was followed by a hold to go 4-1 up.
Van Duijvenbode showed he was not done just yet as he held his throw in leg six to draw within two once more, but it proved a temporary revival as Littler won the next leg and clinched victory with a stylish 150 checkout.
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Glen Durrant says we are witnessing a special talent in Luke Littler and believes he could win the Premier League in his debut year
Humphires, meanwhile, barely gave Wattimena a look-in during their blink-and-you’ll-miss-it encounter as he raced to one-sided win.
Earlier in the night, Raymond van Barneveld gave the Dutch fans something to cheer about as the five-time world champion edged out Rob Cross 6-5 in a thrilling contest.
Gian van Veen, who was runner-up to Littler in last year’s PDC World Youth Championship final, dumped Michael Smith out of the tournament with a 6-3 win, while Kevin Doets defeated Peter Wright 6-2.
Gerwyn Price also booked his place in the quarter-finals with a routine 6-2 win over Dimitri Van den Bergh, and Michael van Gerwen rounded the night off with a 6-1 win over fellow Dutchman Vincent van der Voort.
Premier League Darts returns to Sky Sports on Thursday, February 1 as Cardiff kicks off the 17-week extravaganza all the way through to the Play-Offs on Thursday, May 23. Stream darts and more on Sky Sports without a contract through NOW