Littler Continues Imperious Defence
Luke Littler produced another performance of devastating quality to continue his World Matchplay title defence, dispatching Josh Rock 16-7 to book his place in the semi-finals. The world number one was in imperious form at the Winter Gardens, averaging 109.57 in a display that sends a clear message to the rest of the field.
While not quite reaching the heights of his nine-dart performance against Nathan Aspinall earlier in the week, it was a display of relentless scoring and clinical finishing. Rock himself played a fine match and recorded an average of 100, yet he was afforded few opportunities as Littler asserted his control from the outset. The defending champion’s form has been so strong that his position as favourite is assured, a challenging proposition for anyone consulting the best darts betting sites for value.
Following the match, Littler commented on his focus and preparation, stating he felt “really good on stage” and that it would take “something wildly special” for another player to beat him. Based on this evidence, it is difficult to argue with his assessment.
Van Duijvenbode Ends Anderson’s Quarter-Final Streak
The other quarter-final of the evening saw a significant upset as Dirk van Duijvenbode defeated Gary Anderson 16-13 in a tense affair that required overtime to find a winner. The Dutchman started strongly, breaking the Anderson throw to establish early leads of 3-1 and 5-2, but was repeatedly pegged back by The Flying Scotsman in a high-quality encounter.
The result was notable not just for its drama, but for the history it made. In a remarkable run stretching back to his first appearance in the last eight at this event, Anderson had never before lost a World Matchplay quarter-final. Van Duijvenbode’s victory brings that long unbeaten streak to an end and puts him into a semi-final showdown with the formidable Littler.
