Luke Littler reaches UK Open quarter-finals with 10-5 victory over Dave Chisnall; teenager looking for first major PDC title on Sunday as tournament in Minehead concludes; Littler to face Damon Heta while world No 1 Luke Humphries drawn against Stephen Bunting
Image: Luke Littler beat Martin Schindler and Dave Chisnall at the UK Open on Saturday
Luke Littler remains in the hunt for his first major PDC title after reaching the quarter-finals of the UK Open in Minehead.
The 17-year-old – runner-up to Luke Humphries in January’s World Championship final before winning the Bahrain Darts Masters later that month – beat Dave Chisnall in the last 16 on Saturday evening.
Littler romped to a 10-5 victory after reeling off eight legs out of 10 from a break and 3-2 down, with the youngster averaging 103.38 in the match and recording a checkout success of 59 per cent.
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UK Open: Sixth-round results
- Jonny Clayton 7-10 Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Luke Littler 10-5 Dave Chisnall
- Mervyn King 4-10 Luke Humphries
- Peter Wright 9-10 Stephen Bunting
- Ricky Evans 10-6 Luke Woodhouse
- Martin Lukeman 10-5 Gary Anderson
- Damon Heta 10-8 Gian van Veen
- Rob Cross 10-4 Keane Barry
On potentially winning the tournament, Littler said: “It would be unbelievable, I have not even thought about it, I will just take it game by game. That’s what every player has to do – if you are lucky enough to win you will go on to the next one.”
The draw for the quarter-finals was made on the Main Stage following Saturday evening’s action, with Stephen Bunting pitted against Humphries for a place in the semi-finals. Littler will lock horns with Damon Heta, Rob Cross takes on Ricky Evans, while Dimitri Van den Bergh and Martin Lukeman also go head-to-head.
Wright – who told Sky Sports’ Love the Darts Podcast earlier this week that he thought he would win the UK Open – lost a last-leg decider to Bunting in the last 16 having fought back from 9-6 down.
Image: Littler won the Bahrain Darts Masters in January
Humphries breezed past Mervyn King 10-4 while Cross thumped Keane Barry 10-4 and Lukeman upset former two-time world champion Gary Anderson 10-5.
Van den Bergh knocked out Jonny Clayton 10-7, Heta rallied from 7-3 down to beat 21-year-old Dutchman Gian van Veen 10-8 and Evans dumped out Luke Woodhouse with a 10-6 triumph.
Littler: I’m not a morning person!
World No 30 Littler beat James Wade 10-7 on Friday evening after entering at the fourth-round stage before seeing off Gerwyn’s Price conqueror Martin Schindler 10-8 in the fifth round on Saturday afternoon, winning from 5-3 down.
He said after overcoming Schindler: “I think if everyone didn’t know, they are going to know now that I am not a morning person.
Image: World Championship finalist Littler is into the quarter-finals in Minehead
“This morning I didn’t have breakfast and I was feeling sick because there was nothing in my stomach and my adrenalin was going. That first game was really hard to get over the line.
“After that game, I chilled myself out, went on my phone, went out for some food. I think played better in the evening, every player thinks they play better in the evening.”
Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall were two of the high-profile players to exit in the fifth round, losing to Woodhouse and Heta respectively in last-leg deciders, with Aspinall squandering an 8-4 lead in his defeat to Heta.
Defending champion Andrew Gilding was banished in the last 32, trounced 10-1 by Wright.
UK Open: Fifth-round results
- Ricky Evans 10-5 Mike De Decker
- Luke Littler 10-8 Martin Schindler
- Michael Smith 9-10 Luke Woodhouse
- Vincent van der Voort 6-10 Dimitri Van den Bergh
- Graham Usher 7-10 Gian van Veen
- Jonny Clayton 10-8 Ross Smith
- Damon Heta 10-9 Nathan Aspinall
- Keane Barry 10-3 Ryan Meikle
- Peter Wright 10-1 Andrew Gilding
- Stephen Bunting 10-9 Kevin Doets
- Dave Chisnall 10-6 Mensur Suljovic
- Gary Anderson 10-5 Chris Dobey
- Rob Cross 10-4 Josh Rock
- Benjamin Reus 3-10 Luke Humphries
- Martin Lukeman 10-9 Danny Noppert
- Krzysztof Ratajski 9-10 Mervyn King
Premier League leader Michael van Gerwen was an early casualty in the fourth round on Friday, dumped out 10-7 by Mensur Suljovic, who went on to be beaten 10-6 by Chisnall the following afternoon in Somerset.
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