PDC World Championship: Littler blitzes Dolan, Cross pulls off comeback
The 16-year-old will now face Rob Cross, who completed a stunning comeback from 4-0 down to win 5-4 against fellow Englishman Chris Dobey.
Later this evening, Michael van Gerwen faces Scott Williams and Luke Humphries plays Dave Chisnall.
Catch up on all the afternoon action from the PDC World Championship quarter-finals:
Luke Littler (164) 5-1 Brendan Dolan (28)
The first leg of the first set started with a chance for Dolan to break, which he threw out very soundly via a 101 as well, immediately setting the tone. Dolan was then first in his own leg at 160 and had six arrows to do so.
He did not take advantage, but Littler did not take two chances on top either. Dolan still made it 2-0 in 21 arrows.
Ally Pally had to recover from the insane first quarter-final and watched Littler start hitting the triples in the third leg. Dolan scored a classic 'Robin Hood' as Littler steadily ran away and got on the scoreboard via double 12: 1-2 in legs.
In leg four, Dolan's machine faltered and Littler took over the initiative. Dolan choked on 143 after which Littler needed two arrows for 70: 2-2. This allowed Littler to start the fifth leg with a 180 and eventually leave 170. At the bullseye, it went wrong. But the 39 was hit in two arrows.
And so the last five legs were all out in five innings (2x14 and 1x13 darts). It goes 1-0 for Littler.
Lethal Littler
Set two started only briefly with a break from Littler who hit many triples and threw out a 100 in two darts. In his own leg, it was also bang on for Littler, who was on 47 after three innings.
He threw one more dart askew, but did not miss with his 12th dart in the leg for 2-0.
The incredible pace and rhythm, which we now know from Littler, was reflected in yet another 14-darter. An unprecedented performance with a set win in 37 arrows: 2-0 in sets.
In the third set, 'Nuke' was allowed to start by himself and provided himself with a 147 checkout. After winning six legs within five innings, Littler now needed a rare 18th dart to make it 1-0 with Dolan now instinctively far out of sight.
Dolan had to keep up but was not helped by his average of around 83. Littler went for another 138 in Dolan's leg, but still did not get it out in six arrows.
Dolan threw out 88 via bullseye to preserve his leg and end a streak of seven lost legs: 1-1. In the third leg, Dolan boldly chased a 121 for which he got six arrows and needed only four: a break for 2-1 in legs.
Via a 164 it still did not go out for Dolan and Littler also failed to hit triples on 170. Dolan's 104 did not go out either, after which Littler delivered a sledgehammer blow via 111. Thus Littler restored order and also started leg 3 with 180. Six arrows later 94 was on the boards.
Finally, in 14 arrows, set three was done: 3-2 in legs and 3-0 in sets for the youngster.
Nuke no fluke
Brendan Dolan briefly threw off the frustrations in his own first leg, throwing out a 142 under pressure for the early lead.
Littler once again committed to a 170-out in his own second leg and was given six arrows to do so. Five of those were enough for a 14-darter and 1-1 in legs.
Dolan refused in leg three so it was a breeze for Littler to be first on a throw-out (60). In three arrows it was no problem for Littler to make it 2-1 in legs and so he got to throw for the set.
Six arrows for 164 proved a cue for Littler, who dragged in another 60 in two darts: 3-1 in legs and 4-0 in sets for Littler.
In set five, Littler was first on the oche but Dolan threw six perfect darts. Littler managed to stay in the lead, but once failed with three darts in hand for tops.
Dolan failed to take the first retake and saw Littler miss another three darts. Now it did go out for Dolan via single 9 and double 8. With that, Dolan took a break lead.
Littler could not be deterred and looked for and found the triple 18 many times. However, a rebreak from 56 failed in three arrows. Thus, Littler had eight missed doubles in a row and Dolan did pick through on double 5: 2-0 in legs to the Northern Irishman.
Littler refused to be broken again and aimed 32 out in two darts: 2-1. In Dolan's leg, Littler only once left a 170. Dolan had to throw out 118 under pressure and did so: 3-1 in legs and 4-1 to Littler in sets.
To replicate the scenario from earlier in the afternoon, Dolan just had to keep his own first leg to begin with. Littler clearly had other plans and put away a 140 with six arrows in hand. However, he only needed three to take the break and was allowed to start the second leg.
Dolan put away a 130, but Littler managed to keep his leg in 15 arrows via 80. This put Littler on match point. Not wanting to be broken, Dolan started with four triples in the first two innings.
On 140 it still didn't go out, but with three darts on 8, he got a second chance. Fully in style it then went out: 3-0 in legs and 5-1 in sets.
On Tuesday night, Littler gets to take on Rob Cross knowing that Littler can count himself among the top 64 in the world rankings after the tournament.
Chris Dobey (17) 4-5 Rob Cross (8)
Former world champion Rob Cross got to start the first leg and immediately faltered when Chris Dobey threw out an 89 'against the darts': a 14-darter.
Ally Pally had yet to loosen up, as the atmosphere in the darts hall was initially very sedate. After 13 hours into the new year, things got louder and Cross immediately came up with a rebreak: 1-1.
With the first 180 of the match, Dobey left another out in Cross' leg: 100 went out in three arrows for 2-1 in legs.
In the first two innings of his own leg, Dobey did not find the doubles, but he recovered with a 180 and a 130. The 75 then did not go out, after which Cross did not get the 68 out either. With arrow 17, the first set was in for Dobey via double 10: 1-0.
In the second set, Dobey was already on 114 in his first leg as after nine arrows with six triples and eventually exploited arrow 15 to make it 1-0. Cross remained shaky in his own arrows, all the way after four perfect darts from his compatriot. With Dobey on 71, Cross failed to throw out 90.
Cross still made it 1-1 in the re-match and retained his own leg for the first time. Then it was Cross who scored a 180 as Dobey's first throw in a leg. Six perfect darts were followed by triple 18 and then unfortunately a single 18. With 67 on the board, it was still an 11-darter. And so Cross was allowed on for the second set.
However, now it was Dobey again who started smashing triples. An 11-darter proved too much to ask for and even a 15-darter. Cross failed to capitalise on a 76 throw. Dobey then hit arrow 16 for a rebreak: 2-2. A 12-darter made it 3-2 in legs and 2-0 in sets for Dobey, who posted a 'scoring average' towards the 130 mark in this set.
Taking the advantage
At the start of the third set, Cross sought refuge at the triple 19 and Dobey followed suit. Dobey regained the initiative and put away a 106. That didn't go out, where Cross failed to get a 68 out and Dobey took advantage: 1-0 in legs and another break.
Cross failed to throw out a leg five times to this point in which he got exactly one dart on a double. Dobey had six darts in his own leg for 161 and did not fail: 2-0. For Cross, it was now a case of hooking into the match and he succeeded with six darts to throw out 121.
He failed to do so after which Dobey took advantage via a big double 16: 3-0 in legs and 3-0 in sets.
Set four had a very flashy start with an unthreatened own leg for Dobey, winning six legs in a row.
Cross managed to rally briefly in his own leg and seemed to end the streak, but he had reckoned beyond an incredible 161-out throw from Dobey: 2-0 in legs. Dobey left a 170 in the third leg to finish the set but missed on the double bull.
With Cross far behind, the 25 was no trouble for Dobey, who used just 37 arrows to win the set!
In the next set, Cross left 78 with one arrow on tops. Dobey still popped in double 16 to make 1-1. With a ninth 180, Dobey stepped up the pressure in Cross' leg, who left 170 but did not finish.
Dobey was allowed to dock for 164 but saw Cross make 2-1 on the next turn. Dobey got an arrow on double-11 on a 142, but Cross saw it missed and did hit double 16 himself: 3-1 in legs and 4-1 in sets.
Cross comes back
The sixth set was the perfect opportunity for Dobey to finish the game. The 72 did not go out yet, but his second arrow on tops saw him hit it again: 1-0.
Cross went unthreatened but head-shaking to 1-1 via double 8. In leg 3, Dobey got six arrows for 164 but failed on double 16. Cross got three arrows on 36 and had enough with one for a rebreak: 2-1. Cross popped through via a steady leg of his own to 3-1 in legs and 4-2 going into set seven.
While Dobey's averages began to fall, Cross seemed to have his hopes back. Yet Cross still almost let the first leg fall out of his hands but escaped after three misses from Dobey: 1-0. The room started to get behind Cross, who also almost managed to steal Dobey's leg. However, a 130 did not go out and Dobey kept his leg via double 4: 1-1.
Cross split a 22 into single 6 and double 8 to make it 2-1. Dobey, who has never advanced beyond the quarter-finals at a World Cup, made a very important 93 for the 2-2 and was thus one leg away from the semi-finals.
In leg 5, Dobey started only once with a 180 followed by one from Cross, who was allowed to start on 138 but failed. Dobey had 124 and one arrow on the bullseye but hit the green of the bull. Cross did hit his target via single 18 and double 16: 3-2 in legs and 4-3 in sets.
After yet another break, Dobey was allowed to start throwing for the deciding set himself, but in the first leg it went wrong again immediately and Cross broke him: 1-0. An incredible comeback seemed to be in the making, but Cross was almost broken back.
In the retake via tops, it became 2-0 after all. Dobey had to try hard to take his own leg and did so via double 5: 1-2. Cross started his own leg with a 180 and saw Dobey copy. Cross kept throwing steadily and finished the set in one arrow via double 8: 4-4 in sets and a deciding set was needed.
Decider
The deciding nine set had an incredible start for Cross who threw out a 117 in his own leg: 1-0. Dobey and Cross started leg two once again with both throwing a 180. Dobey was the first to throw out in his own leg (164) but six arrows were not enough.
For Cross, he didn't need to but did succeed on 130 for 2-0 in an incredibly painful moment. Cross was now nine arrows away from the semi-finals.
With a 180, Dobey stayed alive in Cross' leg, in which the latter reached 110. Dobey got three arrows to stay in the match and stayed clear on double 10 to make it 2-1. Dobey was then allowed to throw himself to force the tiebreaker.
Cross took over the initiative not to let that happen but saw Dobey get on an ejection first with 152. Under pressure from 93, Dobey almost threw out but missed on double 16.
Cross wanted to throw a hustle via double 19 twice but aimed outside the board. Dobey did hit: 4-4 in sets and 2-2 in legs, tiebreaker!
An incredible turnaround
In the tiebreak, Cross was also allowed to start as he had won the bullseye early in the afternoon. Dobey missed a bullseye to break, after which Cross made it 3-2 via double 16. Dobey was allowed to use eight darts on a double to make it 3-3.
Cross popped an incredible seventh leg for 4-3 in 10 darts! Dobey seemed unimpressed and did not want to make it exciting in the eighth leg. Still, Cross allowed for 170, after which Dobey wanted to throw out 71 via tops.
He missed after which Cross came to the oche for 70. Two arrows were enough via triple-18 and double-8: 4-2 in legs and 5-4 in sets. An incredible, historic comeback as Rob Cross waits for his opponent in the semi-finals who will emerge from the next afternoon match.
