Luke Littler secures dramatic victory over Dimitri Van den Bergh to set up a thrilling rematch with Michael van Gerwen in Den Bosch

Luke Littler’s journey in the Dutch Darts Masters continued on Friday night as the young sensation edged past Belgium’s Dimitri Van den Bergh with a thrilling 6-4 victory.

The teenager, who just turned 18 earlier this week, now faces defending champion Michael van Gerwen in what promises to be an exciting rematch of their World Championship final earlier this year.

A Hard-Fought Win Against Van den Bergh

Littler may not have been at his absolute best in Den Bosch, but he still put on an impressive display, averaging over 101 and hitting five 180s.

The match was a back-and-forth affair, with both players struggling to find consistency.

Four of the first six games saw breaks of throw, and at one point, Van den Bergh appeared to be on track for victory as he took a 4-3 lead.

However, Littler held his composure at the crucial moments, breaking back when it mattered most and securing the win to book his place in Saturday’s highly anticipated clash.

Michael van Gerwen Sets the Stage

Home favorite Michael van Gerwen looked sharp as ever on Friday night, breezing past fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode with a commanding 6-1 win.

Van Gerwen, who skipped last week’s Bahrain Darts Masters, averaged 95.53 and showed why he’s the man to beat, even without hitting a single 180 in the match.

Saturday’s meeting between Littler and van Gerwen isn’t just another game—it’s a rematch of this year’s World Championship final, where Littler stunned the darts world with a dominant 7-3 victory over the Dutch legend.

The crowd in Den Bosch will undoubtedly be behind van Gerwen as he seeks revenge.

Luke Humphries Struggles Continue

While Littler and van Gerwen stole the headlines, world No. 1 Luke Humphries endured yet another disappointing outing.

Humphries fell to Jermaine Wattimena 6-3, extending his recent string of poor results.

After an early exit in the World Championship and a quarterfinal loss in Bahrain, the Englishman will be looking for answers as his form continues to dip.

Other Highlights from Den Bosch

The evening wasn’t short on drama elsewhere in the tournament.

Rob Cross bounced back from a tough first-round defeat in Bahrain, defeating Richard Veenstra 6-3 in the opening match.

Meanwhile, Kevin Doets delivered one of the night’s biggest upsets, crushing Nathan Aspinall 6-1 with an impressive 94.79 average.

Chris Dobey’s run came to an end as he lost a nail-biter to former world champion Raymond van Barneveld in a last-leg decider.

Bahrain champion Stephen Bunting also faced a tough challenge but managed to scrape past Gian van Veen in another last-leg thriller, despite van Veen averaging over 105 to Bunting’s 102.06.

Looking Ahead

As the tournament heads into the final stages, all eyes will be on Saturday night’s marquee matchup between Littler and van Gerwen.

With the defending champion seeking redemption and the young star aiming to prove his World Championship triumph was no fluke, the stage is set for an epic showdown in front of a passionate Dutch crowd.