Darts: Luke Littler downs Josh Rock to reach World Matchplay final against James Wade
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Littler going for glory in maiden 2025 World Matchplay final
The 2025 World Matchplay has been one of the most compelling in recent years, and there is one more mouth-watering clash on the cards - the final! Our Luke Littler vs. James Wade prediction is available right now, so be sure to take a look for our experts’ insights.
Littler is looking to add yet another accolade to his already almost unbelievable resume by becoming the 14th player to be crowned World Matchplay champion, but unlike many of his previous title match runs, The Nuke has been made to work for his place in the last two in this competition.
The teenager’s toughest challenge came in last night’s semi-final against Josh Rock, where we saw what has now been dubbed “The second best leg of all time!”
Littler produced perfection once again on the big stage, pinning a magical nine-darter on D15. This proved the catalyst for one of the best comebacks seen in recent years, as the reigning world champion was 6-1 down at the time, and the outsider according to most of the best online bookmakers.
That perfect leg sparked life back into The Nuke, who then reeled off eight wins in the next 10 legs to take the lead in the tie. Rock showed excellent fighting spirit, but Littler never looked back, eventually beating the Northern Irishman 17-14.
With that victory, we now have a replay of the UK Open final from earlier this year, where Littler produced a commanding performance, beating Wade 11-2 in a blowout to claim the title, and record his third straight victory over the 42-year-old.
Wade hoping to bring 18-year World Matchplay title wait to an end
Littler could become the youngest ever World Matchplay champion if he wins the title this evening, potentially surpassing none other than James Wade, who currently holds the record, having won this competition back in 2007 at the age of just 24.
That was also the only time the now 42-year-old has got his hands on the trophy despite featuring in the most World Matchplay finals outside of Phil Taylor. Indeed, this is Wade’s seventh World Matchplay final and his first in a decade!
There is a case to be made that Wade has been a tad unlucky with draws over the years, as four of his five World Matchplay final defeats came against the legendary Taylor, while the other was against Michael van Gerwen in his prime - now he has to take on a generational talent in The Nuke.
Understandably, there are a few concerns over how fresh Wade will be for this match, as he will enter the contest off the back of a gruelling 38-leg semi-final against Jonny Clayton (20-18), where both players ended the match with 100+ averages.
Clayton remarkably rallied back from 16-10 down to force extra legs. However, Wade’s efficiency on the outer ring (55.6%) was ultimately the major difference, but he did admit in his post-match interview that he was exhausted both physically and mentally.
Hopefully, the former champ has managed to get a good night’s sleep in and is ready to go tonight, as he can ill-afford to allow Littler to put together a run of legs as Clayton did against him on Saturday.
