Littler Looks to Regain Crowd Support After Quarter-Final Win

Luke Littler expressed his desire to win back the support of the Alexandra Palace crowd after advancing to the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship with a 5-0 victory over Krzysztof Ratajski. Littler, who has reached the semi-finals for the third consecutive year, will face Ryan Searle in the next round. The 18-year-old had faced criticism from the crowd following his previous match against Rob Cross, where he responded to booing by saying he wasn't bothered and thanked the fans for his prize money. However, the crowd's initial boos quickly turned to cheers as Littler took the opening set with a 170 checkout. He posted a 100.04 average and hit 10 maximums during his win, and later admitted that he feels equipped to handle any criticism. Littler revealed that he struggled with his throw throughout the match, changing it multiple times, but was relieved to have gotten the job done. He will look to build on this momentum as he faces Ryan Searle in the semi-finals, with the goal of becoming the first player to win back-to-back World Darts Championships since Gary Anderson in 2016.