Luke Littler fought off a thrilling contest against Ryan Joyce to reach the quarter-finals of the World Darts Championship with a tense 4-3 win at Alexandra Palace.
The 17-year-old, trying to better a result than his second-place finish in his tournament debut last year, never trailed but was pushed to the limits by his unseeded rival as he was repeatedly pegged.
After missing out on a winner in the sixth set after struggling to finish throughout, Littler held his own, finally overcoming Joyce's resilience and winning the deciding set 3-1.
Littler, the highest seeded player in the tournament after the shock exit of defending champion Luke Humphries, will face 12th seed Nathan Aspinall in the quarter-finals.
“I just wanted him to be gone,” Littler said. “I had a lot of chances in my doubles and Ryan wasn't close but I'm happy with the win.”
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Luke Littler finished with a 68 to take a vital 3-2 lead against Ryan Joyce
Early signs were that Littler might blast Joyce with a perfect four-dart to start the match which led to a breakout putt in the opener. Joyce got on the board with a 12-dart shot, but Littler finished 3-1.
Joyce equalized in a bizarre second set that saw all five legs go against the throw, as Littler struggled to convert his double attempts in a trend that would continue throughout the match.
Littler came out of the second game to play a great third set and lead 3-1, averaging 108.22 points, despite his continued struggles in doubles.
Tensions mounted for Ally Pally as Joyce made good on his pre-match promise that he would take his chance at doubles, winning the fourth set 3-1. At that stage of the game, Joyce wasted eight of 15 chances, while Littler was able to convert only nine of 29.
Joyce's doubles advantage finally faltered in the fifth set as she handed a break to Littler, who appeared to settle down as he closed out the set with his first shot on a double top.
However, Joyce refused to lie down and produced 13 break points in the first leg of the sixth set and then held on to take a 2-0 lead.
Littler got back to 2-2 and had a shot at the top of double again in the match, but this time he missed and was punished when Joyce took out double 16 to force a decider.
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Ryan Joyce won the second set to level the match as he looked to put pressure on Luke Littler
With the pressure on, Littler threw back-to-back 180s to start the deciding set, and while he couldn't send the crowd into pandemonium with nine quarters to go, he closed it out to claim a decisive break.
He backed it up with 13 darts to catch, and while Joyce recovered the leg from his own throw, Little closed out the match in relative comfort with a double 12 to close out a 14-dart leg.
“I can't say I was nervous,” Littler said. “It was adrenaline. I knew the last leg where I told myself to buckle down and I did it on that double 12. It showed I could do it.”
MVG is 'here to win' after impressive win over De Graaf
Michael van Gerwen maintained his quest for a fourth world title by defeating Geoffrey de Graaf 4-2.
Van Gerwen started brightly and looked to be on his way to victory after winning the first two sets, but De Graaf came out of the break to stage an inspired comeback.
The unseeded Swede, who knocked out former champion Gary Anderson in the second round, dominated the third set and took the fourth to equalize and put Van Gerwen under pressure.
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Michael Gerwin fired off with passion after defeating Geoffrey de Graaf 4-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the 2025 World Darts Championship.
The Dutchman produced the champion's response, raising his game again to win the fifth set 3-0 with an average of almost 105.
This was followed by a match-high 126 to take the first game of the sixth set, before Van Gerwen took advantage of de Graaf's declining quality to break serve for a match point.
He missed his first three darts of the match, before finally getting the job done on a three-putt to secure an 11th quarter-final appearance at the tournament.
“When I play well I don't panic. As you saw I didn't panic at all,” Van Gerwen told Sky Sports Darts after finishing the match with an average of 101.98.
“When I stay focused, when I continue to believe in my abilities, anything becomes possible. I'm not here for fun, I'm here to win the championship, and we all know that.”
Banners beat Woodhouse to reach the quarter-finals
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Stephen Ponting took the first set as he won all three matches against Luke Woodhouse and clinched the final leg with an impressive 121 finish
Stephen Ponting advanced to the quarter-finals with a dominant 4-0 win over Luke Woodhouse in the opening match of the evening tournament.
The eighth seed exited the group after an exciting round, breaking Woodhouse's serve twice in the first set and deciding the result by 121 points, exciting the crowd.
His average remained above 100 after he won the second set 3-1, and while his form dipped slightly after that, the hapless Woodhouse never threatened to take the set, let alone the match.
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Stephen Ponting says he would love to display the 2025 World Darts Championship trophy around Anfield… especially as the current league leaders take on Manchester United in their next match – live on Sky Sports!
Ponting's opponent in the quarter-finals will be two-time champion Peter Wright, after 'Snakebite' stunned defending champion Luke Humphries on Sunday.
“I expect Peter Wright who was there yesterday against Luke will be there,” Ponting told Sky Sports Darts. He added: “I'm really looking forward to it, and like I said, in front of these fans we can win anything.”
What's next?
The event resumes on New Year's Day, with both Wednesday sessions featuring quarter-finals.
The afternoon session will see Chris Dobie take on 2021 champion Gerwen Price, before Michael van Gerwen takes on three-time winner Callan Reeds.
What promises to be a stunning evening session will begin with two-time champion Peter Wright taking on Stephen Ponting, before Luke Littler takes on Nathan Aspinall.
Who will win the Paddy Power World Darts Championship? Watch every match exclusively live until 3 January on the dedicated darts channel Sky Sports. Stream darts and more of the best sports with NOW.
