And that tendency for the unexpected has continued into the World Championship, with a record 14 seeded players knocked out in the second round.
Paolo Nebrida became the first Filipino player to make the last 32, while representatives from Australia, Sweden and Latvia also remain in the running.
Littler remains the bookies’ favourite to win the title he just missed out on earlier this year, with his second-round performance doing little to alter that prediction.
square DARTS Sport AnalysisTears and genius prove Luke Littler can bear the weight of the darts world
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This earned him a last 32 game against Ian “Diamond” White, a darting veteran over three times Littler’s age who is aiming to match his previous Worlds best of reaching the quarter-final in 2014.
The world No 60 has not made it past the quarter-finals of a PDC ranking major since 2021, but beat Michael van Gerwen 6-1 in last month’s Players Championship Finals.
Cross’s defeat to Scott Williams on Monday evening makes the prodigy’s route to the semi-final even smoother, although he is still on a collision course to play Luke Humphries on 2 January in the final four.
World Darts Championship schedule in full
Friday 27 December
Afternoon (12.30pm) – Third Round
Damon Heta vs Luke Woodhouse Jonny Clayton vs Daryl Gurney Stephen Bunting vs Madars RazmaEvening (7pm) – Third Round
Gerwyn Price vs Joe Cullen Jermaine Wattimena vs Peter Wright Luke Humphries vs Nick KennySaturday 28 December
Afternoon (12.30pm) – Third Round
Ryan Joyce vs Ryan Searle Scott Williams vs Ricardo Pietreczko Nathan Aspinall vs Andrew GildingEvening (7pm) – Third Round
Chris Dobey vs Josh Rock Michael van Gerwen vs Brendan Dolan Luke Littler vs Ian WhiteSunday 29 December
Afternoon (12.30pm) – Third Round
Jeffrey de Graaf vs Paolo Nebrida Kevin Doets vs Krzysztof Ratajski Dimitri Van den Bergh vs Callan RydzEvening (7pm) – 1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round
Ricky Evans vs Robert Owen 2x Fourth RoundMonday 30 December
Afternoon (12.30pm)
3x Fourth RoundEvening (7pm)
3x Fourth RoundWednesday 1 January
Afternoon (12.30pm)
2x Quarter-finalsEvening (7pm)
2x Quarter-finalsThursday 2 January
Evening (7pm)
2x Semi-finalsFriday 3 January
Evening (7pm)
Final square DARTS Darts needs Luke Humphries as much as it needs Luke Littler
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Stephen Bunting and Damon Heta are both still in Cool Hand’s quarter of the draw, either of which could trip up the reigning champion on their day. Jermaine Wattimena, who beat Humphries in the European Championship quarter-finals in October, is favourite to be his last 16 opponent. Having averaged 99 across his first two matches, the Dutchman is another genuine threat.
Van Gerwen eased into the post-Christmas rounds, but he has been so inconsistent and prone to wild variations of form this year that it is almost impossible to predict a deep run with any certainty. He has the ability and the experience, but whatever he says, this is not the Van Gerwen of old.
But in terms of form and performance throughout 2024, Chris Dobey and Dimitri Van den Bergh both have the paths and the ability to reach the semi-finals or beyond.
Dobey has been due a deep run for some time, the man with the finest technique in darts, and this might well end up being his year for big money.
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