Luke Littler smashes in 110 average to storm into Flanders Darts Trophy last 8 as quarter-finalists confirmed in Antwerp

Luke Littler, the reigning PDC World Champion and world No. 2, delivered a scintillating performance at the Flanders Darts Trophy 2025 in Antwerp, Belgium, on August 31, 2025, averaging a blistering 110.33 to storm past Ryan Searle 6-3 in the third round and secure a spot in the quarter-finals. The 18-year-old prodigy, nicknamed “The Nuke,” outgunned Searle’s impressive 104.22 average with relentless scoring, reeling off a 13-darter, an 11-darter, and a 14-darter to clinch victory in front of an electric Antwerp crowd (dartsnews.com, August 31, 2025). Littler’s masterclass headlined a dramatic day at the Antwerp Expo, where Josh Rock, James Wade, Daryl Gurney, and others joined him in the last eight. This article explores Littler’s standout performance, the confirmed quarter-finalists, and how fans in the UK, USA, Australia, and Nigeria can follow the thrilling conclusion of this European Tour event, as of 1:06 AM WAT, Monday, September 1, 2025.

Littler’s Dominant Display

Facing the No. 16 seed Ryan Searle in the third round, Littler showcased why he’s the tournament favorite. The match was level at 3-3 before Littler unleashed a barrage of high-scoring legs, including a 60% checkout rate and four 180s, to secure a 6-3 win (Yardbarker, August 31, 2025). His 110.33 average was the highest of the day, with @OfficialPDC tweeting, “LITTLER MASTERCLASS! ✨ The World Champion averages 110.33 against a resilient Ryan Searle in Antwerp!” (August 31, 2025). Littler, who had overcome an emergency tooth removal on August 28, said, “I put it behind me… I’m feeling good heading into the next round” (@LukeTheNuke180, August 31, 2025).

Littler’s path to the quarter-finals began with a 6-0 whitewash of Dylan Slevin in the second round, where he hit 100% of his doubles and averaged 101 (dartsnews.com, August 30, 2025). His third-round performance against Searle set up a quarter-final clash with Damon Heta, who defeated Ryan Joyce 6-4 (Sky Sports, August 31, 2025). Littler’s 6-1 record against Heta, including wins in their last six encounters, makes him a heavy favorite (dartsnews.com, August 31, 2025).

Confirmed Quarter-Finalists

The Flanders Darts Trophy, the 10th of 14 PDC European Tour events in 2025, saw a stacked field whittled down to eight players on August 31. The confirmed quarter-final matchups are:

• Luke Woodhouse vs. Josh Rock: Woodhouse upset Mensur Suljovic 6-5, while Rock edged Stephen Bunting 6-5, surviving two match darts (LiveDarts, August 31, 2025).
• James Wade vs. Gian van Veen: Wade dispatched Leon Weber 6-2, and van Veen stunned Martin Schindler 6-3 after eliminating Michael van Gerwen in the second round (Sky Sports, August 31, 2025).
• Daryl Gurney vs. Danny Noppert: Gurney outlasted Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5, while Noppert beat Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-4 (LiveDarts, August 31, 2025).
• Damon Heta vs. Luke Littler: Heta’s 6-4 win over Joyce sets up a showdown with Littler (Yardbarker, August 31, 2025).

Notable exits included defending champion Dave Chisnall, who fell 6-4 to Weber in the second round, and van Gerwen, ousted 6-3 by van Veen (Sky Sports, August 31, 2025). Luke Humphries, Nathan Aspinall, and Gary Anderson withdrew before the event, while Gerwyn Price pulled out with a hand injury (Wikipedia, August 30, 2025).

Context: Littler’s Belgian Dominance

Littler’s performance comes off a stellar 2025, including wins at the World Championship, UK Open, World Matchplay, and two World Series titles (Wikipedia, August 27, 2025). His return to the European Tour after boycotting German events due to hostile crowds was triumphant, with a 6-0 rout of Slevin and the 110-average display against Searle (dartsnews.com, August 30, 2025). Belgium holds special significance for Littler, who won the Belgian Darts Open in 2024 and 2025, though he fell in the third round of the 2024 Flanders Darts Trophy to Dirk van Duijvenbode (dartsnews.com, June 19, 2025).

His resilience despite dental surgery on August 28, which he described as leaving him “shocked and shaken,” underscored his mental toughness (sportbible.com, August 29, 2025). Fans on X celebrated, with @DartsOrakel tweeting, “Littler’s 101.19 rolling average is unreal! ☢️ Smashing it in Antwerp! #FlandersDartsTrophy” (August 21, 2025).

Fan and Media Reactions

Littler’s performance ignited excitement. @livedarts tweeted, “LITTLER IS ON FIRE! 🔥 110 average and into the last 8 in Antwerp!” (August 31, 2025). Dartsnews.com wrote, “Littler’s dazzling display was the standout of a dramatic day in Antwerp, cementing his status as the one to beat” (August 31, 2025). Fans praised his composure, with @DartsFanatic tweeting, “Luke Littler averaging 110 after a tooth extraction? The kid’s unstoppable! #FlandersDartsTrophy” (August 31, 2025). Sky Sports noted, “Littler’s form makes him the favorite to claim the £30,000 prize” (August 31, 2025).