Luke Littler has added the World Matchplay to his ever-growing list of honours, seeing off the challenge of James Wade to round off a sensational week at Winter Gardens.
The teen sensation did it in style, recovering from an early deficit to fight back and record a 107.24 average against the 2007 champion. The World Number Two found himself 5-0 down but Wade couldn’t maintain the red-hot start, with Littler powering past his rival in an 18-13 win.
The victory earned Littler his first PDC World Matchplay title and secured the Triple Crown – with the World Championships and Premier League trophies already in the bag. That achievement already puts the 18-year-old among some illustrious names from the darts world.
PDC Darts Triple Crown Winners
- Phil Taylor
- Michael van Gerwen
- Gary Anderson
- Luke Humphries
- Luke Littler
James Wade defies betting odds
Despite falling at the final hurdle, Wade was the star of the tournament – producing some outstanding darts to defy his 80/1 pre-tournament odds! Wade’s victory over Jonny Clayton on a super Saturday in Blackpool was the match of the tournament, and his efforts saw him climb back to fifth in the PDC darts rankings.
Other players to leave a lasting impression were Josh Rock – still riding high from his Darts World Cup win – who pushed Luke Littler all the way before succumbing in the semi-finals, and Gian Van Veen. The World Youth Champion knocked out World Number One Luke Humphries, before bowing out at the Quarter-Final state.
Beat the Bookies: PDC World Darts Championship
The PDC World Matchplay is the second biggest event on the darts schedule and can serve as a good guide for the big one, the Worlds at Alexandra Palace in December. Form can come and go, but there’s already a chance to find value with the bookies.
Josh Rock (14/1, SkyBet, others)
Rock averaged an unbelievable 104.15 against Luke Littler in the World Matchplay semis and is throwing darts as well as anyone right now. If he keeps this up, this price could soon vanish – he’s already as short as 8/1 in some places.
James Wade (80/1 E/W, Bet Victor)
Wade’s price has been slashed dramatically but you can still find 80/1 on a wily competitor who’s been replicating some of his best form in 2025. The bright lights of Ally Pally won’t faze this guy.