Luke Littler edged past Danny Noppert in front of a raucous Dutch crowd to secure a place in the second round of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam. The 22‑year‑old, who has already captured every major tournament on the calendar this year, showed remarkable composure against an audience that was clearly rooting for his opponent. By winning 6‑4, Littler kept alive the possibility of completing an unprecedented clean sweep of all the sport’s premier titles.
The match was a vivid reminder of the hostile atmosphere Littler endured earlier in the season during the Premier League Darts. On several occasions he was met with whistles and jeers, yet he persevered and ultimately claimed the league crown, later admitting he had considered withdrawing from the invitational event altogether. Those experiences seemed to steel him for the challenge in Amsterdam, where the Dutch supporters made their displeasure unmistakably clear. Noppert opened strongly, taking advantage of a tentative start from Littler to claim the third leg and pull ahead to a 3‑1 lead.
The turning point arrived in the sixth leg when Noppert faltered on a 44‑point checkout, handing Littler the chance to level the scores at 3‑3. The English teenager responded with a roar that echoed through the arena, cupping his ears and urging the crowd to make even more noise – a bold psychological tactic that seemed to fuel his confidence. Noppert missed two crucial darts in the following leg, allowing Littler to seize the momentum.
The young star then delivered a flawless 95‑point finish, using two treble‑20s and a double‑5 to move ahead 5‑4. With the match hanging in the balance, Littler broke Noppert’s throw once more and clinched the victory. Reflecting on the win, Littler said, "Coming back from a losing position to win is always a great feeling.
I'm not putting pressure on myself; I’m just focusing on round by round." His measured approach underscores the mental discipline required to chase a historic clean sweep – a feat that would see him hold every major darts title simultaneously if he adds the World Grand Prix and the European Championship to his résumé this weekend. Should he succeed, Littler would become the first player ever to dominate the sport in such a manner. The next step on his agenda is a showdown with Nathan Aspinall in the second round. "Nathan always throws everything at me.
He produces his best, I perform at my best, and hopefully it’s another great game tomorrow," Littler remarked. "It would be one of the best darts achievements if I could pull it off, but it’s still a very long way away." The first night of the tournament delivered a few surprises, most notably Michael van Gerwen’s unexpected defeat at the hands of Daryl Gurney.
However, the remainder of the opening round proceeded largely as predicted. Former world champion Gerwyn Price surged to a 5‑0 lead over Australian Brody Klinge, only for Klinge to rally back to 5‑4 before Price ultimately sealed the match.
Jonny Clayton experienced a similar narrative, establishing a 4‑0 advantage before missing several match darts and eventually prevailing 6‑3 against Maik Kuivenhoven, who had been summoned as a late replacement for Lourence Ilagan after visa complications forced the Filipino out of the competition. James Wade eked out a 6‑5 win over Damon Heta after Heta missed a decisive dart in the final leg, while Aspinall recovered from a 4‑2 deficit to defeat Raymond Smith 6‑4.
Dutch newcomer Wessel Nijman, who has already captured six Players Championship events this season, translated his form to the televised stage with a 6‑4 victory over veteran Simon Whitlock. Other close contests included a 6‑5 triumph for Canada’s Jim Long over Australia’s Adam Leek and a narrow win for cult figure Motomu Sakai against Callan Rydz at the iconic Alexandra Palace venue. The full results of Friday, September 18, round one were as follows: Adam Leek 5‑6 Jim Long; Motomu Sakai 6‑5 Callan Rydz; Wessel Nijman 6‑4 Simon Whitlock; Nathan Aspinall 6‑4 Raymond Smith; James Wade 6‑5 Damon Heta; Gerwyn Price 6‑4 Brody Klinge; Luke Littler 6‑4 Danny Noppert; Jonny Clayton 6‑3 Maik Kuivenhoven.
The schedule for Saturday, September 19, features an afternoon session beginning at noon with match‑ups such as Josh Rock versus Ryan Searle, Daryl Gurney versus Ross Smith, and Gian van Veen against Karel Sedlacek, followed by an evening session from 6 p.m. that includes the highly anticipated clash between Luke Littler and Nathan Aspinall. Fans looking to follow the action can watch the World Grand Prix live on Sky Sports between September 28 and October 4, with streaming available through NOW – a contract‑free service that can be cancelled at any time.
The tournament promises more drama, skill, and the potential for history to be written, especially if Littler continues his remarkable run and edges closer to a clean sweep of darts’ most coveted titles.