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LITTLER AND VAN VEEN SET UP BLOCKBUSTER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Luke Littler and Gian van Veen will lock horns in a tantalising Paddy Power World Darts Championship final, after both players triumphed in their semi-final clashes on Friday evening.

Day 19 of the blockbuster event saw two finalists emerge after a dramatic evening of darts, as Littler became only the second player after Phil Taylor to make the World Championship final in their first three appearances at the competition.

The world number one breezed past Ryan Searle 6-1 courtesy of his third average above 105 at the tournament, crashing in ten maximums in the process to seal his status as finalist. Searle took the opening set, but the defending champion replied in trademark brutal fashion, taking the next two sets before winning ten consecutive legs to bulldoze into a 5-1 lead. It took a 12-dart leg and 170 finish from Searle to stop the rot in the seventh set, but this proved futile as the 18-year-old cleaned up a set-deciding leg to book his spot in yet another World Championship final, after winning six consecutive sets.

"It feels good to reach the final, I've joined another short list of names of players who have had back-to-back-to-back finals," said Littler, as only Taylor, Dennis Priestley and Gary Anderson have ever achieved such a feat. "Now, the only goal is to join the list of people who are back-to-back World Champions. "I've got every right to think I can do it, but I never, ever say that I am going to win it. We will just see how the darts go. "I know Gian very well from the Development Tour, we have met a few times on the ProTour and I got the win over him in Minehead in my first World Youth Championship [final in 2023]. "He is in absolute freedom, he's now in the top four of the world - I don't think he has much to lose."

Van Veen secured his maiden World Championship final after an incredible battle against Anderson, toppling the Scottish juggernaut 6-3 with an average of 103.
Despite Anderson winning the first set, the Dutch number one rallied with remarkable aplomb, winning four straights sets which included three set-deciding legs. The fifth set in particular proved one of the greatest of the tournament to date. Anderson began with a ten-dart break before crashing in a 170 checkout, before Van Veen hit a 170 of his own and snatched the deciding leg - despite the Scot averaging over 117 across the stanza. Incredibly, Anderson threatened a comeback by winning the next set with a 12-dart finish on the bull, and then capitalised in a set-deciding leg to reduce the deficit to 4-3. However, the 23-year-old recovered, taking the next two sets and winning the match with a 13-darter to book his place in a maiden World Championship final.

"I enjoyed every single second of it, I'm still pinching myself," confessed Van Veen, who had not won a game at Alexandra Palace before this tournament in his two previous appearances. "My first ever dream was to be in the World Championship, I wasn't dreaming about getting to a final - it feels amazing. "It was a fantastic game, Gary played so well. I'm so relieved I got the job done. "I'm very confident I can lift the trophy. I'm feeling really good on that stage. It was a very long game and I still averaged 103. "Everyone knows what Luke is capable of. I need to bring out my A-game tomorrow, or else it's going to be a very difficult game."

Littler, 18, and 23-year-old Van Veen will do battle for the Sid Waddell Trophy and record-breaking £1m top prize on Saturday evening, in what is the youngest-ever World Championship final. Littler is the 4/11 favourite with the sponsors Paddy Power, with Van Veen 2/1 to claim the biggest title in darts.

The Paddy Power World Darts Championship is being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).



Littler 6:1 Searle (2:3, 3:1, 3:2, 3:0, 3:0, 3:0, 3:2)
v.Veen 6:3 Anderson (1:3, 3:1, 3:2, 3:2, 1:3, 2:3, 3:2,3:2)

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