Luke Littler storms into semi-final of New Zealand Masters after fighting off ‘unbelievable’ Dimitri Van den Bergh
LUKE LITTLER is through to the semi-finals of the New Zealand Darts Masters.
The teenage darts sensation booked his place in the quarter-finals of the tournament with a narrow win over truck driver Jonny Tata on Friday.
RexLuke Littler is through to the semis of the New Zealand Darts Masters[/caption]
RexLittler faced Dimitri van den Bergh for the second time in just over a week[/caption]
RexLittler bested the Belgian 6-4[/caption]
That set up a clash with Dimitri van den Bergh, whom he bested at the Australian Darts Masters last week.
And ‘The Nuke’ did so again at the Hamilton‘s GLOBOX Arena, beating the Belgian 6-4.
But Van den Bergh put up a hell of a fight with some truly stunning darts.
The Belgian hit several ten and eleven darters, which the match commentator repeatedly dubbed “unbelievable.”
But it wasn’t enough to best teen titan Littler and book his place into the semis of the Kiwi tournament.
Littler appears to have well and truly got over the jet lag which has been bothering him the last few days.
Speaking earlier this week, he said: “It’s been a great experience coming to Australia and New Zealand and meeting all the fans.
“I’ve struggled to adjust my sleeping pattern so I’ve felt a bit tired at times, but I’ll be well rested for Friday.
Inside Littler’s massive rise
LUKE LITTLER has taken the darts world by storm since exploding onto the scene at the PDC World Championship.
The Nuke reached the final on his Ally Pally debut at just 16 years of age – smashing records along the way.
He has since joined Jude Bellingham on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list.
And the teenage titan even had to snub an invite from the WWE.
The Sun exclusively revealed that Littler is plotting to create a fitness empire.
He is also cashing in away from the Oche thanks to an Instagram side hustle.
And he’s even the face of a brand new cereal.
The wonderkid has now cemented his place among the tungsten elite by winning the Premier League Darts final – and the £275k top prize.
Check out all of our latest Luke Littler stories.
“I want to end the trip with a bang and hopefully go one better than last week.”
Littler’s win over Van den Bergh saw him become the first semi-finalist of the tournament.
He’ll now face current world champion Luke Humphries, who bested Michael Smith in double-quick time in their quarter-final clash.
Little burst onto the scene earlier this year with a remarkable run to the PDC Worlds Darts final.
He’s since gone on to win World Series titles in Bahrain and Poland, in addition to European Tour events in Austria and Belgian.
And Matchroom supremo Barry Hearn reckons he has the makings of a future multiple-time world champion who can help the sport reach a new demographic.
He told Sky Sports: “This young man has got his feet on the ground.
“He’s got the right attitude and behind Luke Littler are dozens of other Luke Littlers coming from all over the world and that’s the excitement.
“This game of darts hasn’t really started. Everyone thinks it’s massive and it is but there’s a long, long way to go.
“Littler took us from a sport to mainstream. All of a sudden kids were watching, nans and grandads, parents were watching.
“It became what we always look for in sport – a narrative.
“It’s about the personality and the stories behind the personality, getting people involved so they can enjoy the sport from several different angles.”
