Luke Littler secured a tense 4-3 victory over Ryan Joyce to advance to the quarter-finals of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. The 17-year-old, aiming to surpass his runner-up finish from last year, faced a resilient Joyce who kept pushing him throughout the match.
Despite struggling with his finishing, Littler managed to overcome Joyce in the decider after missing an earlier opportunity to seal the victory. He will now face 12th seed Nathan Aspinall in the next round as the highest-seeded player remaining in the tournament.
“I just wanted him to miss,” Littler said. “I had many chances at my doubles while Ryan wasn’t close, but I’m happy to come out with the win.”
The early stages of the match showed promise for Littler, as he took the lead and broke Joyce in the first set. Despite Joyce’s fightback in the second set, Littler continued to struggle with converting his doubles.
However, Littler managed to dominate the third set with a high average, even though his double troubles persisted. The match remained tight as Joyce and Littler exchanged blows, leading to a thrilling decider.
The tension escalated as Joyce capitalized on his doubles to win the fourth set, while Littler struggled to close out the match. In a rollercoaster sixth set, both players had their chances, but Littler managed to seal the victory and advance to the next round.
Ultimately, Littler’s determination and resilience paid off as he secured a hard-fought win over Joyce, setting up an exciting quarter-final clash against Nathan Aspinall.
Stay tuned for the next matches in the World Darts Championship to see which player will emerge victorious and claim the prestigious title!
