Luke Littler remains in the hunt for his first major PDC title after reaching the quarter-finals of the UK Open in Minehead.
The 17-year-old – runner-up to Luke Humphries in January’s World Championship final before winning the Bahrain Darts Masters later that month – beat Dave Chisnall in the last 16 on Saturday evening.
Littler romped to a 10-5 victory after reeling off eight legs out of 10 from a break and 3-2 down and will now join the likes of Dimitri Van den Bergh, Damon Heta, Martin Lukeman and Ricky Evans in the last eight on Sunday’s third and final day of competition at Butlin’s.
UK Open: Sixth-round results
Jonny Clayton 7-10 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Luke Littler 10-5 Dave Chisnall
Mervyn King vs Luke Humphries
Peter Wright vs Stephen Bunting
Ricky Evans 10-6 Luke Woodhouse
Martin Lukeman 10-5 Gary Anderson
Damon Heta 10-8 Gian van Veen
Rob Cross vs Keane Barry
World No 30 Littler beat James Wade 10-7 on Friday evening after entering at the fourth-round stage before seeing off Gerwyn’s Price conqueror Martin Schindler 10-8 in the fifth round on Saturday afternoon, winning from 5-3 down.
The teenager then averaged 103.38 and had a checkout success of 59 per cent as he overcame Chisnall.
Image: World Championship finalist Littler is into the quarter-finals in Minehead
Michael Smith and Nathan Aspinall were two of the high-profile players to exit in the fifth round, losing to Luke Woodhouse and Heta respectively in last-leg deciders, with Aspinall squandering an 8-4 lead in his defeat.
Heta produced another stunning comeback against Gian van Veen in the sixth round, rallying from 7-3 down to beat the Dutch 21-year-old 10-8.
Defending champion Andrew Gilding was banished in the last 32, trounced 10-1 by Peter Wright, a man who told Sky Sports’ Love the Darts Podcast earlier this week that he thought he would win the UK Open for a second time, after an initial triumph in 2017.
UK Open: Fifth-round results
Ricky Evans 10-5 Mike De Decker
Luke Littler 10-8 Martin Schindler
Michael Smith 9-10 Luke Woodhouse
Vincent van der Voort – Dimitri Van den Bergh
Graham Usher 7-10 Gian van Veen
Jonny Clayton 10-8 Ross Smith
Damon Heta 10-9 Nathan Aspinall
Keane Barry 10-3 Ryan Meikle
Peter Wright – Andrew Gilding
Stephen Bunting 10-9 Kevin Doets
Dave Chisnall 10-6 Mensur Suljovic
Gary Anderson 10-5 Chris Dobey
Rob Cross – Josh Rock
Benjamin Reus – Luke Humphries
Martin Lukeman 10-9 Danny Noppert
Krzysztof Ratajski – Mervyn King
Premier League leader Michael van Gerwen was an early casualty in the fourth round on Friday, dumped out 10-7 by Mensur Suljovic, who went on to be beaten 10-6 by Chisnall the following afternoon.
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