Luke Littler maintained his bid to defend his World Matchplay crown by securing a convincing 16-7 victory over Josh Rock in Blackpool. Initially, the two competitors matched each other blow for blow, reaching a 5-5 deadlock.
However, the 19-year-old champion shifted gears, claiming five consecutive legs to take control of the contest. Littler dominated the proceedings with a 109.57 scoring average and 17 maximums. Reflecting on his dominant display, Littler noted that his scoring prowess allows him room for error on doubles and stated he feels comfortable with his current trajectory.
Littler is set to face Dirk van Duijvenbode in Saturday’s semi-final. Van Duijvenbode earned his spot after holding off a late comeback from 2018 champion Gary Anderson to win 16-13. Despite Anderson’s impressive late checkout of 154, the Dutch player managed to preserve his lead and advance to his first semi-final at this event.
