Luke Littler enjoyed the perfect evening at the World Championship as he got the Alexandra Palace crowd back on side en route to the semi-final and then saw biggest rival Luke Humphries crash out.
Littler was booed heavily during his fourth-round win over Rob Cross and antagonised the baying fans further when he thanked them for paying for his substantial prize money.
The 18-year-old defending champion said he was "expecting the worst" for his quarter-final tie with Krzysztof Ratajski but had them in the palm of his hand after a virtuoso display, which saw him cruise to a 5-0 win.
He then watched his great rival – and biggest threat for the title – Humphries lose 5-1 to Gian van Veen, making him an overwhelming favourite to become the back-to-back champion.
Although there were some pantomime boos as he walked towards the stage, the overall response was positive and a rendition of 'There's only one Luke Littler’ before the match started put his mind at ease.
DEMOLITION JOB FROM LITTLER! ☢️
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 1, 2026
That was EMPHATIC!
Luke Littler demolishes Krzysztof Ratajski in five straight sets to storm through to the semi-finals!
📺 https://t.co/59TualjgND#WCDarts | QF pic.twitter.com/gnzDGOeWto
"It’s a new year, so there’s a new crowd, he said. "A few boos here and there but as soon as I got on stage the crowd were absolutely unbelievable. Leading up to it my family and friends were like, ‘whatever happens, happens’.
"As soon as I got on stage, I clapped everyone so they knew I wanted them on my side again. They were on my side tonight and I got the job done.
"I don’t think it makes an impact. I am growing as a player mentally, I know how to deal with it.
"The Rob Cross game definitely tested me and in future games I will know how to deal with it."
Few can live with the teenager and the scary thought for the rest of the field is that Littler has more gears to find ahead of his last-four date with Ryan Searle.
Van Veen could well be the man who has the best chance of downing Littler after he trounced Humphries 5-1.
The 2024 champion had vowed to go to war with Littler in a bid to regain the world title and the world number one spot but he will not even get a chance to lay a glove on him.
He did not account for coming up against an inspired Dutchman, who averaged 105.41, hit 11 180s and followed Littler in taking out a 'Big Fish' 170 checkout.
VAN VEEN DISPATCHES HUMPHRIES! 🔥
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 1, 2026
What. A. Performance! 🤯
Gian van Veen averages over 105 to defeat Luke Humphries 5-1 and secure a spot in his maiden World Championship semi-final!
📺 https://t.co/59TualjgND#WCDarts | QF pic.twitter.com/2L6jZoOA3A
"This smile won’t go off in the next 24 hours. I am so over the moon, I felt really good. It is indescribable," he said on stage.
"Luke is a fantastic player and whenever I play him we all know we need to play at our best to beat him and that’s what I did today."
Van Veen will next play Gary Anderson who returned to the semi-finals for the first time in four years after ending Justin Hood's dream debut run.
The 55-year-old is enjoying a renaissance and is now just two wins away from lifting a third world title, 10 years after his last.
If he can do so, he would become the oldest player to lift the PDC world title and join Michael van Gerwen in second place in the all-time list of champions.
After beating Van Gerwen on Tuesday night, Anderson looked every bit a potential champion as he dispatched Hood 5-2.
The Scot will now meet Van Veen in Friday’s semi-final, which will be his eighth last-four encounter at Ally Pally.
Littler’s opponent Searle had not dropped a set in reaching the last eight and again showed his class in a 5-2 victory over number five seed Jonny Clayton.
The 38-year-old’s run to the last four is made even more impressive by the fact he has Kjer’s optic neuropathy, an eye condition which means he often cannot see where the dart lands.
SEARLE INTO THE SEMIS!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 1, 2026
What a moment for Ryan Searle!
Heavy Metal produces a clinical display of doubling to defeat Jonny Clayton 5-2 and break new ground at Alexandra Palace!
📺 https://t.co/59TualjgND #WCDarts | QF pic.twitter.com/mGPlJrQFFd
"It’s a hereditary condition, so I’ve passed it to both of my children," he said. "My son doesn’t have it as bad as as me, but my daughter has it really bad.
"When it gets to about six feet, she can see, but after that her vision gets really bad, so she’s registered as visually impaired.
"So, if I can raise a lot of awareness for that and try and find a cure for it, that means a lot to me.
"It’s only in the last 18 months that I realised what the diagnosis was for my vision. It’s been bad for as long as I can remember, but to have a diagnosis for it is really good.
"There’s no cure for what I’ve got. I’m stuck with it. I wear contact lenses now, just try and take a bit of the blurriness away from my vision.
"But sometimes on stage, I’m asking the caller what I’ve scored, and sometimes I don’t, and it puts me in a bit of a difficult position.
"If I can inspire people who maybe can’t see as well as others to pick up the game and give it a go, then that means a lot to me."
