Luke Littler lashes out at crowd for booing after reaching last eight of World Darts Championship

Good evening and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live, leg-by-leg coverage of three important matches at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship. Defending champion Luke Littler rounds off the night, last on the oche but certainly not least.

First up, No 11 seed Josh Rock, fifth favourite with the bookies to win the whole thing, faces Callan Rydz in the last of the third round ties. Bunting beater James Hurrell and Ryan Searle go head-to-head before Littler plays 2018 world champion Rob Cross in a pair of fourth round clashes. All three matches are the best of seven sets.

Littler averaged 107 in his last match and has not dropped a set yet in trouble-free progress to this stage, but that will likely change in this redux of the 2024 semi-final, which Littler won 6-2. Cross is a different calibre of opponent to the ones he has faced. While the former electrician has endured a so-so season, dropping to 17th in the rankings, if he finds his best darts, Littler will not have it all his own way.

“I won’t worry and if I get a little bit of magic out of myself, who knows?” Cross told Sky Sports after his third round win.

Starting shortly, we have Rock against Rydz. A two-time quarter-finalist here, the latter’s No 43 world ranking belies his big-stage record. The fancied Northern Irishman will have to be on his game.