Luke Littler’s hopes of winning the World Masters for the first time survived a big scare as he wriggled out of a tense semi-final battle with Gerwyn Price.
Littler looked certain to be heading home when Price had a match dart in the deciding set, but the Welshman could not find double top to send the world champion out.
It was a costly miss as Littler got out of a hole to steal the leg and then followed it up by holding his own throw in a sudden-death leg to seal victory.
The 19-year-old is showing increasing levels of clutch darts, having also survived match darts in his opening round against Mike De Decker.
Littler has identified the short-format setplay tournament in Milton Keynes – one of just three major tournaments he has yet to win after a dominant two years on tour – as one of his key targets in 2026.
Littler will renew rivalries with Luke Humphries in the final.
The defending champion, who threw a nine-dart finish on Saturday, made light work of Gian van Veen in the second semi-final.
Humphries won 5-0 and will have big designs on a second successive title in MK after a punishing display against the World Championship runner-up.
The pair will contest a seventh major final in little over two years, with three wins apiece.
