World number one Luke Littler produced a dominant display to reach the last 16 of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, while fourth seed Stephen Bunting became the highest-ranked player to be eliminated from this year’s tournament.
Littler Too Strong for Suljovic
The 18-year-old from Warrington averaged over 107 and dropped just three legs in a 4-0 victory against Austria’s Mensur Suljovic, extending his perfect set record at this year’s championship to 10-0.
Littler, who is aiming to defend his world title, showed composure against Suljovic’s slower pace, settling into a rhythm that allowed him to dominate throughout.
“I’m really happy. The finishing was good – 71%, I don’t think I’ve seen that in my PDC career. I felt so settled tonight… That’s the best I’ve felt [at the World Championship].” – Luke Littler
His fourth-round opponent will be either Damon Heta or Rob Cross.
Bunting Beaten in Deciding Set
Fourth seed Stephen Bunting, a two-time semi-finalist at Alexandra Palace, was edged out 4-3 by world number 63 James Hurrell in a dramatic seven-set thriller.
Bunting produced several ton-plus finishes but could not overcome Hurrell, who sealed the match with a 100 checkout. The result may affect Bunting’s ranking and his qualification for the 2026 Premier League Darts campaign.
“It was a tough match, but James maintained solid form throughout. I found the crucial moments at the right time, but it wasn’t enough.” – Stephen Bunting
Hurrell will face the winner of Sunday’s clash between Martin Schindler and Ryan Searle in the fourth round.
Other Third-Round Results (Saturday, 27 December)
- Jonny Clayton (5) 4-3 Niels Zonneveld
- Luke Woodhouse (25) 4-1 Andrew Gilding
- Andreas Harrysson 4-2 Ricardo Pietreczko
- Wesley Plaisier 3-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Clayton will take on Swedish debutant Andreas Harrysson in the fourth round, while Woodhouse will meet Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski.
Sunday’s Scheduled Matches (Third Round)
From 12:30 GMT:
- Martin Schindler vs Ryan Searle
- Damon Heta vs Rob Cross
- Gary Anderson vs Jermaine Wattimena
From 19:00 GMT:
- Gian van Veen vs Madars Razma
- Luke Humphries vs Gabriel Clemens
- Michael van Gerwen vs Arno Merk
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