The Main Event
After almost three weeks of compelling competition, it comes down to this.
The battle of the Lukes: the pre-tournament favourite versus the teenage superstar.
Luke Littler, 16, has changed the darting landscape at Alexandra Palace. Having entered the tournament as an unknown outside of the sport’s inner circle, he has swept all before him, creating a wave of interest that has generated front page headlines and a buzz all over social media.
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From the selfies at various late-night kebab joints to hanging out with England international James Maddison, Littler’s face has been omnipresent over the Christmas break.
He cruised into the final with a 6-2 defeat of 2018 world champion Rob Cross, hitting a 106 average and again displaying the maturity of a veteran. He has the swagger, the talent and the fearlessness of a world champion.
The narrative points towards a Littler win. It seems like he is destined to cap this remarkable tale by lifting the trophy but, and it’s a big but, to do so, he will have to see off the game’s in-form player.
Luke Humphries was being widely tipped for glory before it all got under way having already claimed the World Grand Prix, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals titles since October.
He is on an 18-match unbeaten run and his 6-0 demolition of Scott Williams in last night’s semis, in which he threw a tournament-best average of 108.74, confirmed his status as the new world number one.
He is the game’s Everest, and yet if there’s one player capable of scaling it, it’s Littler.
It should be a compelling encounter. Don’t miss it.
What they said
Humphries
“This is a massive, massive moment for me.
“I think it’s probably one of the best performances [against Williams] I’ve ever produced on the big stage. I just hope it didn’t come one game too early.
“I needed to put in a statement performance because Luke was fantastic tonight. Every aspect of my game was as I wanted it to be, and it’s such a special moment.”
Littler
“It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’ve thrown big averages on the floor all year round, but I’m so happy to have brought that form up on to the biggest stage of them all.
“It would be unbelievable to win this title. I set myself the target to win one game and be back after Christmas, and I’m still here!
“I can’t even imagine lifting that trophy yet though. I’ve just got to stay focused, relax and be Luke Littler.”
The Final is set… 🏆
Luke Littler 🆚 Luke Humphries
🏆 The Sid Waddell Trophy
💰 £500,000 prizeWho will be crowned the 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Champion? pic.twitter.com/hRcwNl76GN
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 2, 2024
When and how to watch
The PDC World Darts Championship final takes place at Alexandra Palace tonight. You can watch it on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Darts from 1930.
Prediction
Humphries is the bookmakers’ favourite with bet365 backing him at 4/6 with Littler at 6/5.
Yet, it would take a brave man to back against the teenager. He has swept all before him so far, becoming an overnight sensation. Most impressively, he has kept his poise despite all the noise around him. If he can do that tonight, I am tipping him to edge it.
