Littler advances but Price suffers shock exit

Luke Littler progressed to the third round but former champion Gerwyn Price suffered a shock exit at the PDC World Championship.

The 2021 victor Price had boldly predicted he would win a second title but was beaten 3-0 by Dutchman Wesley Plaisier.

Defending champion Littler, who was seeded to face Price in the quarter-finals, made the last 32 with a straight-set victory over David Davies.

Price’s fellow Welshman Davies missed six darts at double to take the opening set.

Davies had taken time off from his full-time job as an NHS area manager to appear at Alexandra Palace and went to walk off stage at 2-2, mistakenly believing the first set was over.

Littler, 18, pushed on from there and will next meet Mensur Suljovic, who earlier denied claims from his beaten opponent Joe Cullen of cheating by deliberately playing slowly.

Price, ranked ninth, is the 12th of the 32 seeds to be knocked out.

He had the better average of 95.83 but world number 92 Plaisier hit 56% of his doubles.

“I can’t believe it, I’m so over the moon. It’s my biggest victory ever. I don’t know how I did it,” said Plaisier after setting up a meeting with Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski.

Littler only made his world championship debut two years ago, and his arrival as a teenage phenomenon has helped fuel a boom in darts’ popularity.

He became the youngest world darts champion in January aged 17 when he beat Michael van Gerwen, has gone on to win five more major titles in 2025 and overtook Luke Humphries as the world number one.

On wanting to win the World Championship again, Littler said: “Since the Grand Slam and Grand Prix, the talk is the build-up to the Worlds. Back-to-back is the only thing I want.”

Victory extended his winning streak to 15 senior matches, going back to 25 October.

He said Suljovic had predicted they would meet, adding: “I watched it this afternoon and he played well. When the tournament draw came out, Mensur messaged me and said ‘see you in round three’. Mensur, let’s have a good game.”

Australian Damon Heta, the 16th seed, won the final two sets to beat Swiss debutant Stefan Bellmont 3-2 and next plays 2018 world champion Rob Cross.

Martin Schindler won three successive deciding legs to beat Keane Barry 3-0 and set up a third-round match against Ryan Searle.

Joe Cullen says opponent Mensur Suljovic’s slow style of play is akin to cheating after the 32nd seed was knocked out.

Austrian Suljovic denied using any specific tactics in his second-round success.

“I never ever do this as a provocation,” said the 53-year-old. “I do it only for my game. Sorry Joe, I never do this – love you man.”

England’s Cullen won the first set, but lost the following three, including throwing away a 2-1 lead in the fourth set.

Referring to the way that Suljovic slowed down play, Cullen said in a post on X: “If that’s darts, I don’t want no part of it.

“Always liked Mensur away from the board but that was plain for all to see! I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way. The old guard will say it’s part of the game but word it how you will – it’s cheating. That’s not darts.”

After the match, the 36-year-old shook his head as he picked up his darts case and turned to glare at the Austrian, who celebrated his win in front of the crowd.

The PDC does not have a specific, timed rule for pace of play, but deliberate slow play intended to disrupt an opponent is considered unsportsmanlike conduct and a potential rules breach.

Suljovic is next in line to take on defending champion Luke Littler, who faces David Davies on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, 2018 champion and 17th seed Rob Cross managed to avoid a deciding set against Ian White as he won a nervy encounter 3-1.

Krzysztof Ratajski beat Ryan Joyce 3-1 to reach the third round, while Luke Woodhouse cruised past Max Hopp with a victory in straight sets.

Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)

Darren Beveridge v Madars Razma

Wessel Nijman v Gabriel Clemens

David Munyua v Kevin Doets

James Wade v Ricky Evans

Evening session (19:00)

Gian van Veen v Alan Soutar

Nathan Aspinall v Leonard Gates

Luke Humphries v Paul Lim

Charlie Manby v Adam Sevada