Preview Thursday evening World Darts Championship: Littler in action and Van Veen faces semi-final against Luke Humphries at Ally Pally

After the first two quarter-finals, Alexandra Palace turns its focus on Thursday evening to the conclusion of the last-eight ties. In the evening session, the remaining four quarter-finalists take to the stage, including the last Dutchman left in the tournament.

Defending champion and world number one Luke Littler steps up as the clear favorite against the experienced Krzysztof Ratajski, who has impressively reached the last eight with solid, controlled play. Later in the evening comes a clash many label as the most unpredictable of the round. Former world champion Luke Humphries faces Gian van Veen, the Dutchman who has already shown this season he is not overawed by big names and continues to impress at this World Championship.
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So far Luke Littler looks untouchable at this World Championship. The defending champion cruised through his first three matches without notable trouble and gives the impression he has yet to hit top gear. Even so, the young Englishman met resistance straight away in his opener. Darius Labanauskas put up a strong fight in the first round, but Littler was not caught out. With a solid display and a 101.54 average, he dismissed the Lithuanian 3-0 in sets, although Labanauskas forced a last-leg decider in two of the three sets. In the second round, Littler endured a tricky opening set against David Davies, one that ‘The Nuke’ edged 3-2. From there he dictated until the finish. Without ever being in real danger, he professionally closed it out for another 3-0 win.

His third outing was of a different level. Against Mensur Suljovic, known for his deliberate and sometimes disruptive style, Littler showed how mature his game already is. The 18-year-old sensation never allowed the Austrian’s slow rhythm to impede him and produced what was statistically his best World Championship performance to date. With an impressive 107.09 average and flawless timing in the key moments, Littler swept Suljovic 4-0 in sets, underlining his status as the top favorite. He was then seriously tested by Rob Cross, while the English teenage sensation was also loudly booed by the crowd in between. A fired-up Littler saw Cross miss one dart to level at 3-3 in sets, after which Littler produced a sensational leg to seal a 4-2 scoreline. The world number one then got his own back on the partisan crowd by thanking them for buying a ticket, which pays his prize money. Social media poured scorn on the remark, so it remains to be seen whether Littler will face an even harsher reception from the fans on Thursday.

Krzysztof Ratajski had a far bumpier route to this stage and had to clear several obstacles along the way. His campaign began against Alexis Toylo, the Filipino who drew wary glances in the draw. Not so much for his scoring power, but for his extremely slow pace, which can disrupt matches. Ratajski refused to be knocked off balance by it. With patience, he kept firm control and convincingly wrapped up a 3-0 win in sets over Toylo. The second round looked a far tougher assignment on paper against Ryan Joyce. The Englishman, usually awkward to play, barely found his rhythm. Ratajski took advantage, taking the first two sets 3-1 to open a comfortable lead. Joyce salvaged one set, but Ratajski restored order in the fourth. With a flawless set, won 3-0, he booked his place in the third round.

There he met Wesley Plaisier, the Dutchman who had stunned Gerwyn Price in the previous round. Plaisier started superbly and powered into a 3-1 lead in sets. At that point Ratajski seemed on his way out. Gradually, though, the match turned. Plaisier began to miss chances on the doubles, while Ratajski grew increasingly clinical at the key moments. The Pole capitalized on four missed match darts by his opponent and battled back to 3-3. In the deciding seventh set, Ratajski kept his cool. With a fine 116 checkout, he took the set 3-1 and completed an impressive comeback to reach the fourth round after all. There awaited a clash with Luke Woodhouse, a match that represented a big opportunity for both to reach the World Championship quarter-finals. Ratajski was outstanding on Woodhouse’s throw, but let sets two and four slip on his own. Ratajski’s scoring power ultimately proved too much for Woodhouse, sealing a 4-2 win for the Warsaw thrower.

To reach the semi-finals, Ratajski will have to do something he has never done before: beat Littler. They have met four times, and each time Littler left the oche as the winner. In 2025, Ratajski did push Littler in the UK Open last 16, where Littler eventually scraped through 10-8.

Gian van Veen certainly didn’t receive a gift on his World Darts Championship debut. In the opening round, the Dutchman was tested sternly straight away by Cristo Reyes. The experienced Spaniard even nicked a set from Van Veen and fought for all he was worth. Van Veen kept his composure, seized the initiative, and closed the match out professionally.

With a hard-fought 3-1 sets win and a 98.91 average, he laid a solid foundation for the rest of his tournament. The next round brought what was undoubtedly his strongest display of the event so far. Against Alan Soutar, Van Veen started sluggishly, as the Scot boldly took the first set and even had a chance to double the cushion. Soutar missed a set dart for 2-0, and that proved the turning point. Van Veen shifted up a gear, took full control, and never let his opponent back in. With an impressive 108.28 average, still the highest of this World Championship, he turned the deficit into a convincing 3-1 victory.

After the Christmas break, Van Veen enjoyed a considerably calmer evening. Against Madars Razma he left little room for doubt and produced a composed, mature performance. The Dutchman dictated the pace, stayed sharp on the checkouts, and sent the Latvian home 4-1 in sets without significant trouble. The last 16 brought a clash with tournament revelation Charlie Manby. The Englishman certainly held his own early on and kept Van Veen level at 1-1 after two sets, deservedly so. A burst from the Dutchman — who took the third set with a 106.9 average — broke Manby’s resistance, after which Van Veen ultimately won by a clear margin (4-1) and got over the line.

Luke Humphries will head into his next assignment with mixed feelings about his route so far. While the former world champion dealt with Ted Evetts (3-1) and Paul Lim (3-0) in the early rounds without major issues, the last 16 brought the first real bump. Against Gabriel Clemens, “Cool Hand Luke” received a serious warning.

Humphries initially looked set for a stress-free night. The world number two raced into a 3-0 lead in sets and appeared to have total control. Clemens looked anything but beaten and fought back with impressive determination. With a string of ton-plus finishes, the German flipped the momentum and cut the deficit to 3-2. He then had multiple chances to level and force a deciding seventh set. Clemens failed to take those chances and paid the price immediately. When it mattered most, Humphries showed why he belongs among the elite. With an ice-cold 11-darter, he abruptly ended the surge of “The German Giant” and avoided further damage. Humphries then denied the Dutch a quarter-final derby by dispatching Kevin Doets. Humphries fell a set behind for the first time this tournament, but he hit back straight away and ultimately won comfortably, 4-1 in sets.

Not many players went unbeaten across multiple matches against Humphries in 2025, but Van Veen did. The Poederoijen native played the Englishman four times and won all of those encounters. The standout was, of course, the final of the European Championship, where Van Veen clinched the title thanks to an 11-10 victory on the Machineseeker stage. Humphries is duly warned about the capabilities of the new Dutch darts sensation.