Luke Littler has edged out Paul Lim 6-1 in the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters to set up a quarter-final showdown with Gian van Veen, marking a rematch of their World Darts Championship Final. The 18-year-old's power scoring proved too much for Lim, who started to falter after trailing 4-0.
Littler dominated the early stages before allowing Lim to claw back two breaks of throw. However, he regained control and sealed the win on tops. This victory sets him up against Van Veen, a player Littler beat 7-1 in their World Championship encounter last year.
Gian van Veen, meanwhile, edged out Motomu Sakai 6-2 to set up another quarter-final tie with Luke Littler. The Dutchman's power scoring returned after struggling initially and he secured the win with three legs on the trot.
Danny Noppert suffered a surprise 6-3 defeat to Hong Kong's Man Lok Leung, marking the third Asian winner in World Series history. Leung took an early lead before Noppert staged a late comeback but ultimately fell short.
Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries secured their places in the quarter-finals with dominant wins over Alexis Toylo and Ryusei Azemoto respectively. Van Gerwen also advanced after beating Nitin Kumar 6-1.
Littler's path to victory was marked by his ability to adapt to a quiet atmosphere, saying it is "a very different environment" but that good form should guarantee success "90 per cent of the time." His win sets him up for another contest with Van Veen, who has vowed to show what he can do if he makes it further in the tournament.
Littler dominated the early stages before allowing Lim to claw back two breaks of throw. However, he regained control and sealed the win on tops. This victory sets him up against Van Veen, a player Littler beat 7-1 in their World Championship encounter last year.
Gian van Veen, meanwhile, edged out Motomu Sakai 6-2 to set up another quarter-final tie with Luke Littler. The Dutchman's power scoring returned after struggling initially and he secured the win with three legs on the trot.
Danny Noppert suffered a surprise 6-3 defeat to Hong Kong's Man Lok Leung, marking the third Asian winner in World Series history. Leung took an early lead before Noppert staged a late comeback but ultimately fell short.
Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries secured their places in the quarter-finals with dominant wins over Alexis Toylo and Ryusei Azemoto respectively. Van Gerwen also advanced after beating Nitin Kumar 6-1.
Littler's path to victory was marked by his ability to adapt to a quiet atmosphere, saying it is "a very different environment" but that good form should guarantee success "90 per cent of the time." His win sets him up for another contest with Van Veen, who has vowed to show what he can do if he makes it further in the tournament.
his power scoring is on fire!! i was rooting for van veen tho, hopes he brings his a game against littler again 
what do u think? should we be worried about leung's win over noppert? 
! He totally killed it against Paul Lim 6-1 and now he's set up for a rematch with Gian van Veen, who got his revenge after losing to him last year 
. I'm loving the way Littler is adapting to quiet environments, it's like he knows exactly how to perform under pressure 
. And can we talk about Van Veen's comeback? 
That Dutchman's got some serious skills! The tournament is heating up and I'm hyped for more matches 
and it seems like the quiet atmosphere really suited him. still, it's a good win and sets him up nicely for another showdown with Van Veen 
. I love how he stayed focused even when Lim was clawing back those breaks of throw, just regained control and took it from there 
. Can't wait to see what these young guns do next 
. Oh wait, so they're playing again because of the World Darts Championship... yeah, I remember watching that with my friends last year 
. Can someone explain to me how darts scoring works? 
i mean 6-1 over Paul Lim, that's a serious statement 
. gotta see what he brings against Van Veen now, those two have had epic battles before 
can't wait to watch this one unfold! #DartsMasters #LukeLittler #GianVanVeen
. It makes me wonder, do we prefer the pressure of competition or can we really thrive in silence? 
and it shows in his results. But now he's gotta step up against Gian van Veen again... that guy can be tricky 
. gotta wonder how littler deals with the pressure of being in the quarter finals though 
I love how positive and focused he seems, too. Bring on the quarter-finals, I'm hyped to see what Luke does next! 
. Let's see if Van Veen can take him down again... 