Littler Marches On as Gerwyn Price Crashes Out at World Darts Championship

Posted : 22 December 2025

Defending world champion Luke Littler continued his title defence in convincing fashion at the PDC World Darts Championship, booking his place in the third round with a 3–0 victory over David Davies. In contrast, 2021 champion Gerwyn Price saw his tournament end abruptly after a shock defeat to Dutch outsider Wesley Plaisier.

Price, who had confidently spoken about claiming a second world crown, was outplayed in the doubles and lost 3–0 to world number 92 Plaisier. Despite posting a higher match average, the Welshman was undone by his opponent’s clinical finishing, with Plaisier converting an impressive 56 percent of his chances at double.

Earlier in the day, Littler showed maturity beyond his 18 years as he eased past fellow Welshman Davies. The contest tilted firmly in Littler’s favour after Davies missed six darts at a double in the opening set. In an unusual moment, Davies—who had taken leave from his role as an NHS area manager to compete—briefly attempted to leave the stage at 2–2, mistakenly thinking the set had concluded.

Once in control, Littler never looked back, extending his winning streak to 15 senior matches. The reigning champion will next face Austria’s Mensur Suljovic, who has already attracted attention in the tournament following accusations from Joe Cullen over deliberate slow play—claims Suljovic denied.

Price’s exit means he becomes the 12th seeded player to fall from the competition, highlighting the unpredictability of this year’s championship. Reflecting on his biggest career victory, an emotional Plaisier said he could hardly believe the result as he prepared to meet Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski in the next round.

Littler’s rapid rise has helped drive a surge in darts’ popularity. Having made his world championship debut just two years ago, he stunned the sport by lifting the title at 17 and has since added five major trophies in 2025, rising to world number one ahead of Luke Humphries.

“Back-to-back is the only thing I want,” Littler said, underlining his determination to defend the crown. His campaign will resume after Christmas as the tournament moves into its decisive stages.

Elsewhere, Australia’s Damon Heta survived a scare to edge past Swiss debutant Stefan Bellmont 3–2 and will now face former champion Rob Cross. Germany’s Martin Schindler also impressed, winning three consecutive deciding legs to defeat Keane Barry and set up a third-round clash with Ryan Searle.

Littler Marches On as Gerwyn Price Crashes Out at World Darts Championship

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