Luke Littler lost to Beau Greaves in a semi-final epic at the World Youth Championship – less than 24 hours after he thumped Luke Humphries to win his first World Grand Prix title.
Littler made the trip to Wigan for Monday’s qualifiers having trounced world No 1 Humphries 6-1 in Leicester on Sunday night to clinch his seventh major title in the PDC and fourth of 2025, after the World Championship, UK Open and World Matchplay.
The teenager – who survived match darts in an earlier round against Charlie Manby, recovering from 5-3 down to win 6-5 – was pipped by women’s world No 1 Greaves in a last-leg decider, losing with a 107 average as Greaves averaged 105.
Greaves averaged 105 as she beat Littler in last-leg decider
Greaves will now take on reigning champion Gian van Veen in the World Youth Championship final at Butlin’s in Minehead on Sunday November 23 after the Dutchman saw off Sebastian Bialecki.
That Greaves-Van Veen encounter will be sandwiched between the semi-finals and final of the Players Championship Finals at the same venue.
Therefore, Van Veen could end up playing in all three of those matches.
Gian van Veen will look to defend his World Youth title when he plays Greaves at Minehead on November 23
Littler won the World Youth Championship in 2023, beating Van Veen 6-4 in the final, but opted out last year with Van Veen going on to take the title after defeating Jurjen van de Velde.
The World Youth Championship can be entered by players between the ages of 16-23, so Littler, 18, could still make many more appearances.
The world No 2 is now scheduled to feature in the Players Championship events in Wigan on Tuesday and Wednesday but will not travel to Hildesheim for this weekend’s German Darts Championship.
The next darts major live on Sky Sports is the Grand Slam of Darts from November 8-16, before the World Darts Championship runs from December 11-January 3.
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