"Maybe if I get it done then I might be on their level": Luke Littler ready to ascend to Taylor and Van Gerwen standing with potential second World title

Luke Littler continued his remarkable love affair with the PDC World Darts Championship by reaching his third consecutive world final, putting himself one match away from joining the exclusive club of players to win back-to-back world titles.

The 18-year-old produced another dominant performance in the semi-finals, averaging around 104 and conceding just one set early on against Ryan Searle who wasn't at his best as Littler won 6-1.

“It feels good,” Littler said. “Obviously I’ve joined another list of short names, and that is back-to-back finals. Now the only goal is to join the list of people going back-to-back World Champions.”

Already, Littler is rewriting the record books. He is now just the second player ever, alongside Phil Taylor, to reach the World Championship final in his first three appearances.

“There’s another one I didn’t know about, but now I do,” he smiled. “It’s very special to just keep adding to these lists that I don’t know about. But yeah, now the main goal is to go back-to-back.”

Despite averaging over 103 across the tournament and conceding only three sets en route to the final, Littler refused to declare himself the favourite.

“I’ve got every right to think I can do it, but I never ever say I’m going to win it,” he said. “Never. We’ll just see how the darts go, because one day it’s different and the other’s not.”

That mindset has served him well throughout the championship, even when he dropped the opening set in the semi-final — something he admitted frustrated him.

“That’s why I wasn’t pleased tonight after losing the first set,” he said. “Tomorrow, I just want to get that first set out of the way and see how it goes.”

Littler will face either Gian van Veen or Gary Anderson in the final — two very different challenges. "Gian’s been coming through the ranks,” Littler said. “I know him very well from the Development Tour, and we’ve met a few times on the Pro Tour. I beat him in Minehead for my first PDC World Youth title.”

Van Veen, he believes, is playing with freedom. "He’s in the top four, he’s in the Premier League, so I don’t think he’s got much to lose,” Littler added.

As for Anderson, the last man to win back-to-back world titles, Littler was full of admiration. “Gary’s just an absolute icon,” he said. “We played once at the Grand Slam and that was a really good game. Does he want to stop me going back-to-back? That might be the case.”

Asked whether it would be extra special to beat Anderson for the title, Littler admitted it would add another layer. “It’d be special,” he said. “He might be thinking, ‘Let’s try and stop him from adding to the list he’s on.’ It’d be that extra special beating Gary.”

Comparisons with Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen are now unavoidable, something Littler acknowledges with humility. “In their primes they were just unbelievable,” he said. “I was watching it as a little kid. What I’ve done, I can say I’m playing just as well with the titles, the averages, the amount of nine-darters on TV. Maybe if I get it done tomorrow, then I might be on their level.”

Littler insists nothing about his dominance is effortless, even if it appears that way. “It’s not effortless,” he said. “You’ve always got to put effort in. On the telly it might not look like it, but there’s always effort being put in.”

The longer format of the World Championship, he believes, plays perfectly into his hands to go with th adage of get him early or don't get him at all.. “That’s where I can switch up a few gears and get the 180s going,” he explained.

A 104 average now feels routine for Littler, something he admits is becoming his baseline. “I think I could have gone a bit better tonight,” he said. “I missed a few doubles, but I was very happy with tops. As long as I’m over 50 per cent on the doubles, I’m always happy. That’s a key part for every player.”

He also explained why he passed up big finishes during the match, opting instead to set up his favourite double. “I wasn’t that settled in the game and didn’t feel ready to take the big checkouts,” he said. “Tops were going really well and I didn’t think I could miss.”

The semi-final line-up ended hopes of a Luke vs Luke final after Luke Humphries exited earlier in the tournament. Littler watched closely. “If someone’s shaking their head in front of you, you’ve got to say to yourself, ‘You’ve got him,’” Littler said. “And Gian did that. He got the job done.”

It reinforced his own approach. “Just try and win that first set,” he said. “If you do that, you’re more settled than your opponent.”

Despite having already won a world title, Littler insists the hunger remains unchanged. “That hunger is never going to change,” he said. “Even if you win your first World Championship, you always want another. For myself, I want to go back-to-back.”

He also believes there is more improvement to come. “There’s a bit more in the tank,” he said. “A near enough 105 tonight is very good, but I think we can up it a little bit more tomorrow.”

Reflecting on his first world final, Littler admitted he never expected his career to unfold like this and didn't expect a follow up to his initial achievements no mind potentially winning the world title back-to-back. “After that first final and the Premier League call-up, I said to my family it might never happen again,” he revealed. “I was expected to go on the Pro Tour and try to qualify for a few Europeans. But I’ve got a lot better since.”

This of course is despite his undoubted excellence which was touted from a young age winning senior titles as a child and was seen as the future before his breakout.

Now, he stands on the brink of history. “My first three World Championships and I’m in the final of every one,” he said. “That’s not a bad start at all. Hopefully there’s another big average and a win tomorrow.”