PDC World Darts Championship 2025 results: Luke Littler beats Ian White to reach fourth round
Teenager Luke Littler advanced to the fourth round of the PDC World Darts Championship, even though he didn’t play at his best against Ian White.
The 17-year-old emerged victorious with a score of 4-1, but the final result doesn't accurately reflect the tough battle Littler faced to move forward.
He made it through the first set of darts, where he joined the Alexandra Palace audience in celebrating White, and also managed to pull through in the fourth set.
The fourth seed also had some outstanding highlights, notably when he finished the third set in just 39 darts, achieving an impressive average of 115.
Littler, the top contender before the tournament began, displayed an unexpected burst of joy after taking the fourth set. He then went on to secure the fifth set with a score of 3-1, clinching the win.
His average rose to 97.84, surpassing the 54-year-old White, who mentioned that he used to compete against Littler's grandfather on the pub scene in Runcorn during the 1990s while preparing for the event.
Littler will take on unseeded Ryan Joyce, a player he has never competed against, in the fourth round on Monday.
"It was really challenging. Ian gave it his all. Whenever I scored a 180, he matched it, so I had to remain focused the entire time," Littler shared with Sky Sports.
"I wouldn't describe it as being nervous; it was more about getting comfortable quickly."
"When you're leading 3-1 as you head into the final break, you can't help but think that just three more legs will secure the victory, and that's exactly what I told myself."
I tuned in to Ryan's game, and he played really well. I need to start nailing those doubles—hitting only 35% won't take me far—but I understand where I've been falling short.
Three-time champion Michael van Gerwen has made it to the fourth round following a 4-2 victory against 30th seed Brendan Dolan.
Dolan from Northern Ireland started strong by winning the first set on his own throw, but the Dutch player Van Gerwen came back to take the second set.
This kicked off a sequence of eight consecutive legs, giving the third seed a 3-1 lead.
He played brilliantly in the fourth set with an average score of 118.66, but his performance declined significantly to just 84 in the fifth set, which Dolan won.
Van Gerwen struggled with his accuracy in the following set and missed several double attempts, but eventually managed to secure the victory.
The match captured the essence of Van Gerwen's year perfectly—brilliant performances mixed with some errors that would probably be exploited by top competitors as the tournament goes on.
In the fourth round, he will compete against either Jeffrey de Graaf from Sweden or Paolo Nebrida from the Philippines, both of whom are unseeded.
"It was challenging; it was extremely tough and a very demanding match," Van Gerwen said to Sky Sports.
"Anyone can see that he always keeps fighting, and you need to take advantage of the right opportunities to catch him off guard, but I wasn't able to do that."
There's a great deal left to accomplish, and I’m confident that I can handle it. I'm excited for what’s ahead and ready to move forward.
In the first match of the night, 15th-seeded Chris Dobey triumphed over 18th-seeded Josh Rock with a score of 4-2.
Northern Ireland's Rock had an early advantage, leading 1-0 and then 2-1. However, as the match went on, Dobey found his rhythm and started to play better.
He clinched the fourth set with a score of 3-0, but Rock failed to convert set darts on double tops during the fifth set.
Dobey secured victory in the sixth set with an impressive double-double performance, paving the way for a fourth-round matchup against either Kevin Doets from the Netherlands or Krzysztof Ratajski from Poland.
Numerous people expected a tightly contested game, especially since there was only a £250 difference between the two players in the PDC's Order of Merit. The match reflected this anticipation, but Dobey's steady scoring—he achieved an average of 97.29—and a checkout rate of 45.2 allowed him to secure the victory.
In the afternoon matches, Joyce stunned 20th seed Ryan Searle, and both Ricardo Pietreczko and 12th seed Nathan Aspinall successfully advanced as well.
Ryan Joyce triumphed over Ryan Searle with a score of 4-3.
Scott Williams 1-4 Ricardo Pietreczko Scott Williams faced off against Ricardo Pietreczko in a recent match that ended with a scoreline of 1-4 in favor of Pietreczko. This match showcased Pietreczko's skill and strategy on the field as he overcame Williams with a decisive victory.
Nathan Aspinall achieved a decisive 4-0 victory over Andrew Gilding.
Chris Dobey defeated Josh Rock with a score of 4-2.
Michael van Gerwen defeated Brendan Dolan with a score of 4-2.
Luke Littler defeated Ian White with a score of 4-1.
Jeffrey de Graaf vs. Paolo Nebrida
Kevin Doets vs. Krzysztof Ratajski
Dimitri van den Bergh faces Callan Rydz.
Ricky Evans versus Robert Owen
Jonny Clayton versus Gerwyn Price
Luke Humphries versus Peter Wright
You can follow live text updates during the evening session starting at 18:45 GMT on the BBC Sport website and app.
