Luke Littler becomes first darts star ever to earn £3MILLION on world rankings as he powers into World Matchplay final

Luke Littler is one win away from retaining his World Matchplay crown after storming into the final and becoming the first player in PDC history to surpass £3 million in ranking prize money.

The world No. 1 produced another breathtaking display to demolish Dirk van Duijvenbode 17-5 on Saturday night, setting up a blockbuster title showdown with Gerwyn Price.

Littler, 19, averaged a sensational 110.88 as he dismantled the Dutchman, further cementing his status as the dominant force in darts.

The teenage superstar admitted he has no intention of slowing down, with his sights firmly set on extending his reign at the top of the sport and eventually eclipsing Phil Taylor’s achievements.

“I want to stay dominant. I want to keep winning and winning,” Littler said. “I want to stay at the top. I want to beat Phil Taylor’s record. I think it’s maybe three or four years at world No. 1.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s final, Littler expects an intense battle against Price.

“I think Gez will try and get me into a roaring battle tomorrow. As long as I get off into a lead, I’ll be happy.”

Littler wasted little time taking control of his semi-final, racing into a 4-1 advantage after the opening session before raising his average to an astonishing 117 as he stretched his lead to 8-2.

From there, the reigning champion never looked back. A relentless stream of heavy scoring left Van Duijvenbode with no answer as Littler surged to a commanding 15-4 lead before comfortably closing out the match to book his place in a second consecutive World Matchplay final.

Earlier in the evening, Gerwyn Price produced an equally impressive performance to defeat Gian van Veen 17-10 and reach his first televised ranking final at the Winter Gardens.

The victory also lifted the 41-year-old back to world No. 4, reclaiming the title of Wales’ highest-ranked player ahead of Jonny Clayton.

Price was delighted with both his run to the final and his rise in the rankings.

“It’s brownie points, bragging rights,” he said. “Jonny has been Welsh No. 1 for maybe a year and a half. I’m back. To reach a final, I’m happy. The ranking, just to get back into the top four, one up on my buddy Jonny.”

The former world champion admitted he felt more pressure than expected during the semi-final and already had plans to celebrate before returning for the biggest match of the tournament.

“There was a lot more pressure on this game for some reason. I’m off for a curry. I’ll be back tomorrow.”