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Littler to face Van Veen in PDC Worlds final
Luke Littler surged into his third successive PDC World Championship final and will face European champion Gian van Veen in what promises to be a blockbuster conclusion to the tournament.
World champion Littler came from a set down to beat 20th seed Ryan Searle in impressive style, averaging 105.35 in a 6-1 win over his fellow Englishman.
Meanwhile, Dutchman Van Veen overcame two-time champion Gary Anderson 6-3 in a semi-final for the ages that saw both players average just shy of 103.
Littler's success meant he has still yet to taste defeat prior to a final at Alexandra Palace and extended the 18-year-old's unbeaten record in major ranking tournament semi-finals to 11.
He became just the fourth player to reach three consecutive PDC World Championship finals, after Phil Taylor, Dennis Priestley and Anderson, and could be the fourth player to win PDC world titles in successive years.
Anderson did so most recently with back-to-back wins in 2015 and 2016.
Littler told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I'm very happy with tonight - the doubles, the finishing, the high-scoring. It could have been a bit better but I'm happy to make it three consecutive finals [at the World Championship].
I missed a few doubles but I'm happy with 50-odd percent or whatever it was. Hopefully we can do a bit more tomorrow.
Searle made a strong start in his first semi-final appearance at the World Championship, shrugging off a 10-dart finish and 105 average from Littler to take the opening set thanks to some clinical finishing.
However, the teenager's scoring was relentless and it proved too much for Searle to contend with.
An 11-darter levelled it up but a key moment came at two legs apiece in the third set as Searle, throwing first, hit just 15 with his first three darts to give Littler an advantage he never relinquished.
There was no let-up from Littler, who hit 10 180s in the match, as he took out 110 to win a fourth set in which he averaged the same number.
He was exemplary on the doubles - double 20, in particular - as well, with a checkout percentage of 58.8% to ensure there was no way back for Searle.
There was little repeat of the boos Littler experienced during his last-16 win over Rob Cross on Monday - on this occasion they came in jest after he missed treble 20 having hit six perfect darts to start the leg.
It was one of two near-misses for Littler in his search for a first World Championship nine-darter - and he did not even win the leg after the second of them as Searle reeled in the big fish - a 170 maximum checkout.
His run at Alexandra Palace will take him up to eighth in the world rankings, but it was Littler who progressed to Saturday's final.
While Littler cruised through, there was no such luck for Van Veen as he beat his idol Anderson in a remarkable match.
It began with the Scot winning the first set against the darts with a 104 average, but any thoughts that Van Veen, 23, might be overawed in his first world semi-final were quickly forgotten as he hit a 10-darter to start the second set.
A stunning average of 113.35 saw him level it at 1-1 with a 117 checkout and was a taster of what was to come in the sets that followed.
Anderson started the next with a 144 checkout but Van Veen hit back once more, hitting six perfect darts to start the deciding leg on his way to an 11-darter.
Somehow, the fifth set took the match to another level again. First, Anderson broke with a 10-darter and hit a 170 checkout to go 2-0 in legs, and a leg from making it 3-2.
Instead, Van Veen made it 4-1 after a 170 checkout of his own forced a deciding leg. He won it and averaged 111.46, while Anderson was left wondering how he had lost a set in which he averaged 117.44.
The 55-year-old's resilience shone through, though, and with the crowd behind him, he won the next two sets to make it 4-3 and pile the pressure on his younger opponent - who had missed four darts to make it 5-2.
But while both players showed signs that the unrelenting nature of the contest was taking its toll, Van Veen held firm, got himself 5-3 up and then finished strongly with a 13-darter to clinch his place in the final.
"To be in the World Championship final is not even a dream coming true because I wasn't able to dream about this," Van Veen, who had not won a match at the World Championship prior to this event, told Sky Sports.
Now it's happened and I'm so happy.
Luke Littler 6-1 Ryan Searle
Gian van Veen 6-3 Gary Anderson
Luke Littler (1) v Gian van Veen (10)
Final is best of 13 legs and will be played on Saturday from 20:00 GMT.
Source: BBC
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