PDC World Darts Championship 2025 results: Luke Littler survives scare to reach quarter-finals
Callum Matthews
BBC Sport senior journalist
Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist
Teenager Luke Littler survived a massive scare but beat Ryan Joyce 4-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship.
The 17-year-old was again, as has been the case throughout the tournament, far from his best, particularly on doubles, where he made just 14 of 48 attempts.
He won the first, third and fifth sets but was pegged back on all three occasions as the unseeded Joyce forced a deciding set.
However, Littler went up a gear, broke in the first leg and averaged 111 as he claimed it 3-1.
Littler finished with a 103.14 average – the third highest in this year’s tournament – but his checkout struggles will be a concern.
His 35.4% accuracy in this game was only marginally better than his 35.1% in round three, where he said “I know what is wrong” and that it would be rectified.
The fourth seed is giving opportunities – Joyce managed to break Littler’s throw six times – and as he progresses you would expect higher-quality players to capitalise even more.
He will face 12th seed Nathan Aspinall in the final last-eight tie when the action resumes on New Year’s Day.
A potential semi-final would see him face Peter Wright or Stephen Bunting.
“Honestly, I think I went into 10th gear at one point, I had to. I said to Ryan, he hit everything at me!” Litter told Sky Sports.
“I wouldn’t say I was nervous, it was more adrenaline. I knew in that last leg, ‘just hold your own for once in the game at least’.”
Meanwhile, three-time champion Michael van Gerwen is also through after an impressive 4-2 win over Jeffrey de Graaf.
The Dutchman won the opening two sets, without De Graaf winning a leg, but the Swede fought back to level by winning six of the next seven legs.
Van Gerwen’s level never dropped though – consistently averaging above 100 – as he won six legs on the spin to seal his spot in the last eight.
He will face unseeded Englishman Callan Rydz on New Year’s Day as he looks to win the tournament for the first time since 2019.
“When I’m focusing and believing in my own ability then anything is possible. I am not here for a jolly – I am here to win a tournament and we all know that,” Van Gerwen told Sky Sports.
Eighth seed Bunting is also into the quarter-finals after a comfortable 4-0 win over fellow Englishman Luke Woodhouse.
Masters winner Bunting was consistent throughout and finished with a 96.78 average as he lost just three legs.
He will face 17th seed Wright, who knocked out defending champion Luke Humphries, on Wednesday.
“I don’t want to let the crowd down – they are the heart and soul of the party – and they were unbelievable again. We can do this, you know, we really can,” Bunting said on Sky Sports.
Aspinall cruises into quarter-finals
Aspinall breezed into the quarter-finals with a comfortable 4-0 win over Ricardo Pietreczko.
The Englishman, seeded 12th, held steady at an average in the low 90s throughout the match – finishing on 94.28 – and his German opponent’s struggles meant that was all that was required.
Pietreczko impressed in his 4-1 win over Scott Williams in the previous round but averaged just 78.46 in his first appearance in the last 16 at Alexandra Palace.
Aspinall happily took advantage, playing up to a lively home crowd, and dropped only two legs in securing his place in the last eight.
“This is probably the first game of darts, since probably the Matchplay [when he won in July 2023], where I’ve walked on the stage and loved every minute,” Aspinall told Sky Sports.
Meanwhile, Rydz came out on top in a topsy-turvy contest against qualifier Robert Owen to make the quarters for the second time with a 4-3 win.
Rydz was well short of the level he showed in ousting 11th seed Dimitri van den Bergh in round three early on and Owen, who had to swap his shift as a delivery driver to play this match, stepped up to take a two-set lead.
But the crowd were behind Rydz and he responded by winning the next three sets as his rhythm returned.
Owen kept fighting and levelled at 3-3 but Rydz, who hit 12 180s in the match, would not be denied and took the deciding set 3-1.
Chris Dobey set up a quarter-final against Wales’ Gerwyn Price after a 4-3 win over Dutchman Kevin Doets.
The 15th seed led 1-0 and 2-1 but Doets, who came from behind to knock out second seed Michael Smith and 31st seed Krzysztof Ratajski in the past two rounds, fought back to lead 3-2.
However, this time Doets could not complete the job and Dobey levelled before winning the deciding set 3-1.
Monday’s results
Kevin Doets 3-4 Chris Dobey
Robert Owen 3-4 Callan Rydz
Ricardo Pietreczko 0-4 Nathan Aspinall
Evening Session (19:00)
Stephen Bunting 4-0 Luke Woodhouse
Michael van Gerwen 4-2 Jeffrey de Graaf
Luke Littler 4-3 Ryan Joyce
Quarter-final schedule
All ties played on Wednesday, 1 January 2025
Afternoon Session (12:30)
Chris Dobey v Gerwyn Price
Michael van Gerwen v Callan Rydz
Evening Session (19:00)
Peter Wright v Stephen Bunting
Luke Littler v Nathan Aspinall