Luke Littler vs Ian White: What to expect as World Darts Championship hots up ...Middle East

This has been darts’ year of the underdog, from Ritchie Edhouse’s European Championship victory and Mike De Decker’s Grand Prix win to every part of Luke Littler’s astonishing ascendance.

And that tendency for the unexpected has continued into the World Championship, with a record 14 seeded players knocked out in the second round.

The second, fifth and sixth seeds – Michael Smith, Rob Cross and Dave Chisnall – will all spend their Christmases wondering what could have been, while relative unknowns like Robert Owen and Nick Kenny have a shot at glory.

Paolo Nebrida became the first Filipino player to make the last 32, while representatives from Australia, Sweden and Latvia also remain in the running.

Here’s everything you need to know about the business end at Alexandra Palace.

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 Analysis

Tears and genius prove Luke Littler can bear the weight of the darts world

While he started comparatively poorly against Ryan Meikle, he finished with the best set in World Championship history, averaging 140.91 and getting eight darts into a nine-darter.

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.

White beat Edhouse in the second round after receiving a bye in the first.

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.

While White is an experienced player who should be respected, Littler has the gears to comfortably outstrip him and reach a last 16 match against either Ryan Searle or Ryan Joyce.

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

Evening (7pm) – Third Round

Saturday 28 December

Afternoon (12.30pm) – Third Round

Evening (7pm) – Third Round

Sunday 29 December

Afternoon (12.30pm) – Third Round

Evening (7pm) – 1x Third Round, 2x Fourth Round

Monday 30 December

Afternoon (12.30pm)

Evening (7pm)

Wednesday 1 January

Afternoon (12.30pm)

Evening (7pm)

Thursday 2 January

Evening (7pm)

Friday 3 January

Evening (7pm)

Humphries remains the obvious candidate here, even if he underperformed on the opening night.

square DARTS

Darts needs Luke Humphries as much as it needs Luke Littler

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.

But as was the case pre-tournament, the bottom half of the draw is far more interesting. Gary Anderson’s straight-sets loss to Jeffrey de Graaf removed the overwhelming favourite to progress from that section, leaving the door open for a number of big names who have underperformed of late – or lesser-known overperformers.

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.

The same goes for Gerwyn Price, currently fourth favourite after an average second-round win punctuated by the Welshman’s usual theatrics. He will face Joe Cullen, who beat the popular dark horse Wessel Nijman to remind the world of his own capabilities.

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.

The winner of Van den Bergh’s third-round match against Callan Rydz has a very open run to the 2 January, and Rydz’s first-round average of 107 showed he could better his 2022 quarter-final push.

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.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Luke Littler vs Ian White: What to expect as World Darts Championship hots up )

Also on site :

• Beloved Country Music Star Pays Tribute To Classic Judy Garland Song With 'Somewhere Over Laredo'
• Attacks by over 100 Ukrainian drones repelled overnight – MOD
• “It Felt Legendary”: Victoria Konefal on Finally Filming With Peter Reckell as Bo on ‘Days of Our Lives’