Luke Littler denies Michael van Gerwen back-to-back World Series titles, seals inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters

It is a fifth World Series of Darts crown for Luke Littler who has scooped the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters in Riyadh defeating Michael van Gerwen in the final 8-5.

Van Gerwen has shown that he is very much still a player to watch in title contention during the Middle Eastern sojourn as he won Bahrain and lost here to Littler in the final of Saudi Arabia. In the end, Littler who hit a 111 average earlier in seeing off Gian van Veen hit 104.84, 8/13 on the doubles and a high checkout of 132.

It is his first World Series of the year and joins his double last year in Australia and New Zealand as well as Bahrain previously and Poland also in 2024.

It was all Littler to start. He hit a 180 and double 20 to hold and then a 132 checkout to lead 2-0. He was 3/3 on the doubles as he went 3-0 up. Van Gerwen missed 91 as Littler sealed a 4-0 lead.

Van Gerwen pinned 121 for a 12-darter to break and he was finally on the board at 4-1 down. Van Gerwen missed three darts and Littler after missing 128 returned only to miss darts himself to break straight back and Van Gerwen took the tricky 13 on double four for a 4-2 deficit. An 86 checkout for MVG saw him 4-3 down and throwing for parity.

Van Gerwen missed 151 and was made to pay missing another chance and Littler broke with a 115 for 5-3. Van Gerwen went 5-4 down but Littler hit the afterburners picking out 65 and then sealing the win from there 8-5.

That bid for a back-to-back World Series crown for Van Gerwen went through a certain Nathan Aspinall.

He overcame a 4-2 deficit to sink 'The Asp'. Van Gerwen held with a 154 checkout for 1-1. Aspinall hit double 12 for 2-1. Van Gerwen hit double four to draw level at 2-2.

Aspinall needed to hit a 105 to hold with Van Gerwen sat on double 20. He did so and it was 3-2. A superb 128 checkout from The Asp followed who went 4-2 up. Aspinall missed 150 and Van Gerwen returned for 51. He was now 4-3 down. MVG held for 4-4. He broke to make it 5-4 hitting 96 for a 12-darter.

Aspinall broke back hitting double 20 for 5-5. But Van Gerwen surged in style to win 7-5.

Then in the other semi-final, Luke Littler found his way past Gerwyn Price. To start, Price missed 167 for 2-0 and Littler was back for 121 to make it 1-1.

Price held after missing 170 pinning a 25 checkout. With Price sat on 68, Littler had to hit 41 to hold for 2-2. Price hit double four to lead 3-2. He had the impetus as he hit a 100 checkout for 4-2.

But his issue throughout the tie was golden chances missed as he missed two chances to hold which saw Littler go 4-3 down then 5-4 up. Littler held to go one away on double 10 and sealed the deal 7-5. Price was way back on 158 and after missing 130, Littler returned for 130 to seal teh win.

Luke Littler produced the performance of the weekend during the Quarter-Finals averaging 111.58 in seeing off Gian van Veen in a World final repeat surging in a 6-4 win.

It was all Van Veen to start. A 12-darter and a break for Van Veen to begin with a 41 checkout for 1-0 and he held throw to go two up. Littler cut the gap at 3-1 down hitting 56. Littler held with a 76 checkout and he was one behind at 3-2.

Van Veen kept him at arms length with a break back being quelled by GVV The Giant pinning a 46 checkout and was throwing to go one away. But this is where the late surge came as The Nuke broke back with an 11-darter to make it 4-4. He broke again to win it as he hit a 124 checkout to seal the win 6-4.

While after that, it was drama personified as Gerwyn Price nicked his win over Luke Humphries in a decider to set up yet another meeting as mentioned with 'The Nuke' who he beat last week in Bahrain.

A 108 checkout to start for Price who held to lead. After missing 41 initially and further darts, Price returned for a 13-darter to break for 2-0. Price hit 75 to hold with Humphries unable to hit 135 and he made it 3-0. Humphries finally got on the board and broke with a 70 checkout to make it 3-2.

Humphries missed three darts to hold but Price missed a dart at 80 to seal a break back and it was now 3-3. Price responded with a 97 to make it 4-3. But a 101 to leave 64 for Humphries. He missed a dart for it and Price returned only to stumble into treble five and Humphries made it 4-4. Suddenly he was 5-4 up missing 129 and Price set up 82 but missed a dart and Humphries returned to break for 5-4. Price picked his pocket after Humphries missed 86 for the match. An 81 checkout pinned and it was 5-5.

Price hit 134, 100 and 139 to be first to a finish. He sat on 128 with Humphries not able to pounce. He left 40 with Humphries merely having to hit and hope. This was to no avail as Price sealed it.

While prior to that there were wins for Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen who met in that semi-final aforementioned.

Van Gerwen took down Stephen Bunting who only averaged 81 in his defeat. Albeit it was a match characterised by breaks of throw. Van Gerwen went 3-2 up but Bunting hit double 20 to make it 3-3. Van Gerwen hit a 120 checkout to break and goes 4-3 up.

Bunting made it 4-4 after Van Gerwen missed dart after dart to hold. Van Gerwen breaks again pinning 66 for 5-4 and was now throwing for the win which he sealed with a 127.

While Nathan Aspinall took down Man Lok Leung. The final bastion of Asian darts left going into this session. He started the brighter of the two taking the lead but Aspinall broke with a 59 checkout.

Leung stayed in it with a 64 checkout but could not break back as Aspinall maintained his impetus. Aspinall after Leung couldn't hit 68 to break stumbled over the line to hold at 5-3 and was now throwing for the win. Aspinall moved into the semi-finals after pinning double 16 for 6-4.