Final of the Darts World Championship: Luke Littler vs. Michael van Gerwen
Luke Littler hopes the experience he gained in last year’s World Darts Championship final defeat to Luke Humphries will come in handy when he takes on Michael van Gerwen tonight.
Littler paved the way to title contention 12 months ago after starting the tournament as an unknown 16-year-old.
Humphries proved too strong on that occasion, but Littler returns a year after continuing his meteoric rise to fame with a season that included winning the Premier League, the Grand Slam of Darts and the World Series of Darts won.
He has also become one of the most recognizable faces in British sport, taking interest in darts to new levels.
“I’ve gained a lot of experience over the last year,” said Littler, who averaged 102 in his five games at Alexandra Palace.
“Michael has competed in numerous finals; This is only my second mistake, but I know where I went wrong last year and I’m sure I’ll fix it.
“It would mean everything to win this title, but my only focus right now is to win seven sets tomorrow night.”
🗣️ “It would mean everything to win this title!”
Luke Littler looks back on a sensational semi-final win over Stephen Bunting and is looking forward to a blockbuster final against Michael van Gerwen tomorrow night…#WCDarts pic.twitter.com/VRkFqRXmvu
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 2, 2025
Littler cruised comfortably into the final with a 6-1 win over Stephen Bunting, showing a calmness and confidence that had often been lacking in his previous games.
“I felt very confident tonight. “I felt best when I played against Nathan (Aspinall) in the quarter-final but I’m just happy that I’m playing with so much confidence,” Littler added.
“I hit the right shots when I need to. Stephen was right behind me the entire game, so I couldn’t afford to take my foot off the gas.”
The mighty Mike is not to be underestimated
Tonight the imposing figure of Dutch star player Van Gerwen stands in his way.
The three-time world champion was far too strong for Chris Dobey in last night’s semi-final and won 6-1 with minimal effort.
The 35-year-old has had a disappointing year for himself but a win tonight would reinforce his belief that he can still take on world number one Humphries and Littler.
“I just reached the final and the final means nothing. I want to win and that’s the only thing that matters to me,” he said.
“For me, the overall package has to be right, and the train still runs like that, which is good.
“My experience could be really important, but I haven’t won anything yet. We’re still a long way away.”
🗣️ “The overall package has to be right!”
Michael van Gerwen gives his reaction after defeating Chris Dobey 6-1 to reach his seventh World Championship final!#WCDarts pic.twitter.com/5RsFKAb8ca
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 2, 2025
Here’s how to watch
The PDC World Championship will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK.
You can watch the final on Sky Sports Darts and Main Event from 7:30pm GMT.
forecast
A year ago it seemed fate that Littler would crown his remarkable run to the final with a victory. However, this did not take into account the fact that Humphries was the better player at the time.
At the moment, Littler is stronger than Van Gerwen and if the game was taking place in the local pub, big money would be bet on the teenager.
However, this is the biggest day in the darts calendar when all eyes will be on Alexandra Palace and most are curious to see if the prince can become king.
And this is how the game is decided. Can Littler keep his composure despite the enormous interest he attracts? In many ways it is a free kick for Van Gerwen and that makes him dangerous.
However, it is impossible to bet against Littler. He has handled everything with aplomb this year and while mentally this still remains the biggest hurdle to overcome, we believe he will get there and potentially gain a monopoly on the game’s biggest prize.
