Luke Littler delivered a masterclass performance, cruising to a 17-5 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode and earning his place in the World Matchplay final where he will meet Gerwyn Price at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. Littler’s numbers were nothing short of spectacular: he posted a 110.88 three‑dart average, hit sixteen 180s and converted half of his doubles attempts. Those statistics join an earlier 113‑average and a nine‑dart finish against Nathan Aspinall, plus 109‑average wins over Niko Springer and Josh Rock in the quarter‑finals, underscoring a run that has been both relentless and historic. In addition to his on‑stage brilliance, Littler has become the first player in Professional Darts Corporation history to amass £3 million in prize money, creating a £2 million gap between himself and world No.
2 Luke Humphries. He now has the chance to become the first competitor in a decade to claim back‑to‑back titles in Blackpool, a feat last achieved by Michael van Gerwen in 2016. Littler’s ambitions extend beyond a single trophy.
He is targeting a clean sweep of major titles in 2026, having already secured the World Darts Championship, the UK Open, the Premier League and the Masters. He also enters the Matchplay as the defending champion and will be looking to retain the Grand Slam, the Grand Prix and the Players Championship Finals.
The stakes are high, but his confidence is evident. As he told Sky Sports, “I want to stay dominant, keep winning, stay at the top and eventually break Phil Taylor’s record for the longest stretch as world No. 1.” The semi‑final itself was a display of sheer dominance. Littler opened with an 11‑dart leg followed by a 12‑dart leg, quickly establishing a 4‑1 lead.
By the second session he was up 8‑2, leaving van Duijvenbode with little chance as Littler piled on seven 180s, twelve 140s, only three visits without a treble and maintained a 117.10 average. After dropping the 11th leg, he rebounded with a string of high‑scoring visits and capped the session with a 130 checkout (T20, T20, D5). Even on what he described as his “weakest” session, he was only 0.9 points shy of Phil Taylor’s Matchplay average record of 114.99. Littler’s momentum continued into the third session, where he surged to a 16‑4 advantage.
A brief lapse in his double‑finishing allowed van Duijvenbode to claw back a leg, extending the match to the 22nd leg and giving Littler five match darts to miss. In the decisive leg he thrilled the crowd with back‑to‑back maximums, set up a finish after 12 darts and sealed the win with a clinical finish, confirming his place in the final. On the opposite side of the draw, Gerwyn Price earned his spot by defeating Gian van Veen 17‑10. The victory lifted Price to world No.
4 and reclaimed the Welsh No. 1 ranking from Jonny Clayton. “I’m happy to be Wales’ No 1 again,” Price said, noting that the first half of the season had seen him playing exceptionally well. His semi‑final featured an early surge, two breaks of throw and a silky 125 checkout that gave him a 4‑1 lead.
Van Veen fought back to 6‑4, but Price responded with a run of five consecutive breaks, pushing the score to 10‑7. The fifth session saw Price’s trademark "booyah" celebration after each big dart as he averaged over 111, rattling off four straight legs and ultimately taking the decisive 27th leg with a tops finish. His composure and firepower will be tested against a Littler who has already shown the ability to dominate any opponent on the Blackpool stage.
The evening will also feature the fifth edition of the Women’s World Matchplay, broadcast live from 1 p.m. on Sky Sports Action.
Defending champion Lisa Ashton will look to retain her title, while Beau Greaves aims for a third win in four years, adding another layer of excitement to a day packed with high‑stakes darts. The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay final is scheduled for later that night, a best‑of‑35‑leg showdown between Luke Littler and Gerwyn Price. With both players in peak form and hungry for more history, the darts world will be watching closely to see who lifts the coveted trophy.
Live coverage begins at 7.30 p.m. on Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Main Event, with the final expected to start around 8.15 p.m.
Fans can also stream the action via NOW, ensuring the drama reaches a global audience.