PDC World Championship 2024: Raymond van Barneveld to face teenager Luke Littler in last 16

Raymond van Barneveld, who has become world champion five times, is set to compete against young player Luke Littler in the round of 16 at the PDC World Championship.

On Friday, the Dutchman came out victorious in a match against Jim Williams from Wales with a score of 4-1. He is scheduled to face Littler on Saturday, who is 40 years younger than him.

The talented 16-year-old from Warrington, Littler, has impressed everyone with his exceptional performance in his first appearance at the tournament held at Alexandra Palace in London.

In the meantime, Michael Smith, who was the previous champion, was eliminated in the fourth round after losing to Chris Dobey with a score of 4-0.

Smith, who emerged victorious against Michael van Gerwen in the final last year to clinch his maiden world championship, failed to get into his groove as Dobey capitalized on his countryman's blunders and progressed to the quarterfinals on Monday, January the 1st.

Dobey revealed to Sky Sports that his opponent made several mistakes by missing numerous doubles, which allowed him to gain an advantage. Despite this, Dobey confessed that he was not feeling confident and felt anxious during the match.

"He started scoring 180s right from the beginning and I realized I had to step up my game. He has beaten me many times before, so it feels good to finally win one."

Last Thursday, Littler defeated Matt Campbell from Canada in the third round. Because of this, he became the youngest player ever to make it to the last 16. Littler also mentioned that it would be amazing to compete against Van Barneveld.

Littler's desire was fulfilled when experienced Van Barneveld defeated Williams. However, the seasoned player has also been closely monitoring the young contender throughout the competition.

Van Barneveld expressed his amazement at the skills of his opponent after defeating Williams, stating that while he spent his time playing with Lego and Playmobil at the age of 16, this individual excels beyond comparison.

Before this tournament, I had never seen him play. But now, I really like him and think he's an exceptional player. I'm excited to go up against Luke in the game.

The individual who is 56 years old has not made it to this part of the contest since 2018. They had acquired BDO championships in the years 1998, 1999, 2003, and 2005 prior to transitioning to the PDC. They were able to triumph over Phil Taylor in the finals of the 2007 competition.

In December 2019, Van Barneveld decided to retire but surprisingly, in September 2020, he changed his mind and made a comeback.

Van Barneveld expressed confidence in Littler's ability to earn his tour card in the coming year, noting his skill as a player. However, Van Barneveld emphasized that his focus is on the board and not his opponent.

I don't feel scared of Michael van Gerwen, nor do I feel scared of [Luke] Humphries, Phil Taylor, or Luke Littler.

"My strategy to defeat these individuals is to deliver excellence - and that is precisely what I intend to achieve."

Littler, who won five titles on the Development Tour in 2023, has swiftly become a fan favorite for his penchant for eating kebabs as a way to celebrate his victories. This has also led to him being considered one of the top contenders to win the coveted Sid Waddell Trophy come January 3rd.

On Friday, Van Gerwen, a previous champion three times, defeated Stephen Bunting from Liverpool with a score of 4-0 and advanced to the quarterfinals while Gary Anderson from Scotland won against Boris Krcmar from Croatia with a score of 4-1.

Damon Heta from Australia got the upper hand after a seven-set match against Berry van Peer from the Netherlands. The game was intense, but Heta managed to secure the win with a score of 4-3.

In the recent match-up, Jonny Clayton from Wales defeated Krzysztof Ratajski from Poland with a score of 4-2.

In a recent match, Raymond van Barneveld from the Netherlands beat Jim Williams from Wales with a score of 4 to 1.

Gary Anderson (Sco) beat Boris Krcmar (Cro) 4-1 in their recent match.

Michael van Gerwen from the Netherlands defeated Stephen Bunting from England with a score of 4 to 0 in their recent game.

Chris Dobey (Eng) triumphed over Michael Smith (Eng) with a score of 4-0.