PDC World Championship: Humphries waltzes over Williams, faces Littler

Rob Cross 2-6 Luke Littler

Cross missed two arrows in the third leg of the first set for a break. The high-scoring first set went to a decisive fifth set after the first four legs went with the arrows. His constant scoring allowed Cross to keep his own leg and win the first set.

His constant scoring earned Cross a break in the third leg of the second set (2-1). From 86, Cross missed the opportunity to cash in on his break in the fourth leg, allowing Littler to break back and set up another decisive fifth leg. Littler threw out 74 and managed to hold his own set.

Break for Littler

Cross missed two darts on the double in the first leg of the third set to keep his own leg and was broken. Throwing out 142, Littler managed to cash in on the break and make it 2-0. Cross was out in 11 darts in his own third leg and Littler was allowed to start the fourth leg to take the set. Cross missed the chance to break back and Littler moved to 2-1 in sets.

Littler simply held his own first leg of the fourth set in 11 darts and had won six of the previous seven legs. Cross managed to hold his own second leg, was close to a break in the third leg, but saw Littler throw out 149 and move to 2-1 in legs. Cross levelled the score in his own fourth leg and a fifth leg had to bring decision. Cross was first on a finish after two 180s. 141 did not go out for Cross, who saw Littler throw out 41 (S9, D16) for the set.

Cross holds own set

In the first leg of the fifth set, Littler managed to break in 12 darts. Throwing out 138, Cross broke him straight back in the second leg, after Littler himself had missed two darts on the double. Cross missed two set arrows in the fourth leg and a fifth leg had to bring decision. Littler missed a dart on tops for the break and Cross held his own set from 60 (S20, D20).

Littler runs away

Littler, after Cross missed on the double, grabbed the fourth leg of his own sixth set and won it 3-1 in legs.

In the seventh set, Littler again got ahead by a break and took a 2-1 lead. He then managed to keep his own leg fairly easily and move to 5-2 in sets.

The eighth set started with a 132 finish from Littler, who was close to clinching a final place. Cross managed to keep his own second leg, but needed a break to keep Littler out of the final. In his own third leg, the 16-year-old got to match point, but had to finish the job in his own fifth. The gap was quickly closed by 137 and 140 scores from Littler and via 80 matchdart number one went in.

Littler will play the final on Wednesday night against the winner of the match between Luke Humphries and Scott Williams.

Scott Williams 0-6 Luke Humphries

Helped by his first 180 of the match, Williams managed to break immediately in the first leg to make it 1-0. In the second leg, the roles were reversed and Humphries put the score at 1-1 in legs. Humphries became the first to keep his own leg and in the fourth leg Williams emulated him. The fifth and deciding leg was started and won by Humphries, who moved to 1-0 in sets.

Humphries provided another break in the first leg of the second set. Throwing out 121 in the second leg and finishing 136 a leg later, Humphries took the set in straight legs.

Fantastic Humphries

Humphries was throwing great and in the first leg of the third set, 170 also went out for the three-time major winner. Throwing out 95 (S19, D19, D19), Williams managed to hold his own second leg and move to 1-1 in legs. Both men then held the next two legs and the fifth leg was allowed to be started by Humphries. Williams threw his fourth 180 of the match, missed a dart on the bullseye for the break and saw Humphries throw out 126 to win the set.

The fourth leg of the fourth set yielded another 100+ finish for Humphries, who made it 2-2 in legs in his own leg. Humphries managed to snatch the fifth leg and with it the set from Williams.

In the second leg of the fifth set, Humphries grabbed another break and moved to 2-0 in legs. In his own third leg, Humphries threw out 121 and needed another set for victory.

Whitewash

Humphries took his sixth consecutive leg and also managed to break in the first leg of the sixth set. Williams broke back a leg later by throwing out 93 to make it 1-1 in legs. In the third leg Williams was broken again, giving Humphries match point. He started the fourth leg himself and missed his first matchdart from 80. A turn later, double 10 was hit with the first dart and the whitewash was complete.

Humphries will play the final on Wednesday night against Luke Littler.