Littler advances to PDC semi-finals as Van Veen upsets Humphries
Luke Littler progressed to the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship after a dominant performance at Alexandra Palace, while Luke Humphries was eliminated by rising Dutch player Gian van Veen.
Defending champion Littler produced a 5-0 victory over Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski to move into the last four. The 18-year-old, who had faced some boos from the crowd in a previous round, received a strong positive reaction from the Alexandra Palace audience as he claimed the win.
Littler opened the match with a superb 170 checkout to secure the first set and went on to win 12 of the following 15 legs. He acknowledged the crowd support after the match and reflected on his mental development as a player, saying: "A few boos here and there but as soon as I got on stage the crowd were absolutely unbelievable. Leading up to it, my family and friends were just like 'whatever happens, happens'. As soon as I got on stage, I clapped everyone so they knew I wanted them on my side again. They were on my side tonight and I got the job done. I am growing as a player mentally. I know how to deal with it. The Rob Cross game definitely tested me, but I got through it and in future games I will know how to deal with it."
Littler will face fellow Englishman Ryan Searle in the semi-finals.
Searle reached his first World Championship semi-final after a 5-2 win over Jonny Clayton. The 38-year-old had carried momentum into the quarter-finals, having won 14 consecutive sets without reply to reach that stage, and extended that run to 17 sets in total with clinical finishing early in the match against Clayton.
Searle produced notable high-pressure checkouts, including a 111 finish in the deciding leg of the fifth set, and landed three ton-plus checkouts during the contest. His finishing accuracy at doubles proved decisive: he hit 17 of 30 attempts, while Clayton managed just 10 of 40.
Searle, who lives with dominant optic atrophy and wears contact lenses, spoke about his condition and his hope to inspire others. "I can't see particularly well," he said. "Other people who try to play darts, if they can't see particularly well, try not to let that hold you back. I try to be an inspiration to them."
In the evening's other quarter-final, van Veen produced a statement victory over second seed and 2024 world champion Luke Humphries, defeating him 5-1 with an average of 105. Van Veen, who is 23, had beaten Humphries in three major televised tournaments in 2025, including in the final of the European Championship in October.
The win over Humphries has moved van Veen provisionally up to third in the PDC world rankings and made him the highest-placed Dutch player in the standings, overtaking Michael van Gerwen. After the match he said: "I'm so over the moon. After the last game, someone asked me if that was the biggest win of my career and I said no, it was the European Championship final. Now, it probably is this win tonight." Van Veen will face two-time champion Gary Anderson in the semi-finals.
Anderson reached the last four with a 5-2 victory over debutant Justin Hood. The first four sets of that quarter-final were shared before Anderson produced a dominant spell, winning nine of the next 10 legs to close out the match. The result secures Anderson a semi-final place for the first time in four years.
Hood, making his first appearance at Alexandra Palace, won plaudits for his performance across the tournament. He earned £100,000 for reaching the quarter-finals and has risen in the PDC rankings, moving from 86th to 50th. Hood has indicated he intends to use a portion of his prize money to open a Chinese restaurant.
The quarter-final results were as follows:
- Ryan Searle 5-2 Jonny Clayton
- Gary Anderson 5-2 Justin Hood
- Luke Littler 5-0 Krzysztof Ratajski
- Luke Humphries 1-5 Gian van Veen
The semi-final draw is:
- Luke Littler v Ryan Searle
- Gian van Veen v Gary Anderson
Semi-final matches are best of 11 sets and are scheduled to be played on 2 January from 19:30 GMT.
Key Topics
Pdc World Championship, Luke Littler, Ryan Searle, Gian Van Veen, Luke Humphries, Gary Anderson, Justin Hood, Krzysztof Ratajski, Jonny Clayton, Alexandra Palace, 170 Checkout, Ton-plus Checkouts, Darts Finishing Accuracy, Pdc World Rankings, Semi-final Draw