Luke Littler breezes through to the World Darts Championship semi-finals as he dominates Nathan Aspinall to set up Stephen Bunting showdown and close in on historic first title aged just 17
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About as long as it takes to make yourself a cuppa, that’s the time it took Luke Littler to win the first set, and from then on, there was no catching the 17-year-old in his supersonic pursuit of a place in Thursday night's semi-finals at Alexandra Palace.
![[Aspinall had his moments but was always kept at arm's length by Littler]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/22/93657365-14242497-image-a-23_1735771055949.jpg)
Nathan Aspinall is a fine competitor, knocking on the world’s top 10, yet the 33-year-old found himself trailing 1-0 within three minutes and 33 seconds of this match’s start as he walked backstage for the first break wondering what had hit him. Aspinall fought back with a set here and there, but he struggled to turn this clash into a true contest overall, with Littler triumphing 5-2 as the tournament favourite managed 15 maximums and a 101.54 average.
![[Littler produced moments of magic and is one step closer to becoming world champion]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/01/22/93658335-14242497-image-m-25_1735771081371.jpg)
Littler will face Stephen Bunting after he defeated Peter Wright 5-2 in his own quarter-final, and the teenager said after his victory: ‘It feels like last year. I’m playing with absolute confidence, with freedom, and now on to the semi-finals. I don't like having days off because I don't practise. So we wake up tomorrow and we go again.’.
Alexandra Palace is a chaotic place – one highlight was seeing six blokes dressed as seagulls chasing a chap in a sausage roll costume – but Littler was calmness personified on stage. Littler and Aspinall share the same manager, Martin Foulds. The two are close, yet if this opening set was evidence of how the teen treats his friends, you would hate to be his enemy.
