Jim Williams One Win Away From Date With Luke “The Nuke” Littler

By David Williams

Jim Williams can grab some more limelight by taking on teenage star Luke Littler with one more big win at the PDC World Championship.

Welsh star Williams has already enjoyed making the early headlines at the tournament when he shocked former world champion Peter Wright with a stunning round two triumph.

Now, Williams can take centre stage once more if he beats Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld on Friday to set up a last 16 meeting with boy wonder Littler.

Teenage sensation Littler’s incredible rise continues after he became the youngest player to reach the fourth round of the World Championship.

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The 16-year-old has taken the Alexandra Palace tournament by storm and wowed an adoring crowd with a sensational performance to destroy Matt Campbell 4-1.

Littler, who won the World Youth Championship in November, will pocket a guaranteed £35,000 but will have his sights on lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy in what would be one of the greatest ever sporting stories.

It is going to take something special to stop him as he is producing form which defies his tender age.

He averaged 97.19, threw eight 180s and produced three 100-plus checkouts, including a majestic 164 in the fifth set.

A dream last-16 tie with his hero van Barneveld could be waiting for him on Saturday, if the Dutchman can beat Williams on Friday night.

After disposing of Christian Kist and UK Open champion Andrew Gilding, the teenager returned home for Christmas where he sacrificed time on his Xbox after dinner for a practice session on the board.

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And that paid dividends as he made an electric start, winning the first six legs to roar into a 2-0 lead.

Campbell, who returned home to Canada over the festive period before arriving back in the UK on Boxing Day, looked to have a foothold in the third set as he took the first two legs, but a relentless Littler reeled off the next three to move 3-0 up.

He had a match dart to seal a 4-0 whitewash but suffered a rare bout of inaccuracy, which allowed Campbell to get on the board.

Littler hit back in the fifth set, though, hitting two 100-plus checkouts on his way to sealing a famous win.

Speaking on stage after the match, Littler said: “It’s unbelievable. I only wanted to win one game and I have won three and I have battled through it. I am so happy.

“I just let my darts do the talking, everyone on social media saying, ‘He’s this age’, but I let my darts do the talking.

“As soon as I won that first game I have just settled.”

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Littler advances to the last 16, the youngest player to do so in the tournament’s history and said the sight of his mum in the crowd after the game had brought him to tears.

“I started crying when I saw my mum in the crowd. She was nervous. I said to her, ‘The dream continues’. She said the same thing,” Littler explained.

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The Cheshire youngster is excited about the prospect of facing van Barneveld or Williams in the last 16.

“If Raymond does beat Jim it would be unbelievable to play him, and then win or lose against either of them I’m still happy to come out of the worlds at the last 16, but I would love to go a few more games in,” Littler added.

“I will stay in the hotel, chill out tomorrow and see who I play in the next round.”

Littler opened Wednesday’s evening session in style, averaging 97.19 and throwing eight maximums against Campbell.

In the night’s other games, two former world champions advanced as Michael van Gerwen cruised to a whitewash win over Richard Veenstra and Michael Smith battled past Latvia’s Madars Razma.

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