World number one Luke Littler narrowly avoided a first-round exit at the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, battling back to defeat Danny Noppert. The 19-year-old, who is targeting his second World Series title since 2024, faced a familiar opponent in the former UK Open champion. Despite Littler’s dominant 6-0 victory over the Dutchman during the recent Czech Darts Open, Noppert proved a much tougher prospect this time, racing to a 3-1 lead.
The momentum shifted when Littler leveled the score at 3-3, a moment marked by the teenager gesturing toward the crowd by tapping his ears in response to jeers. Although Littler briefly busted his score, Noppert could not capitalize on the lapse. The tension peaked at 4-4, where Littler produced a clinical 95 checkout—leaving Noppert on 46—and celebrated with a passionate roar. This momentum carried him to a comfortable finish, setting up a second-round clash against Nathan Aspinall, who advanced by beating Raymond Smith 6-4.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Gerwyn Price secured his progression by defeating Brody Klinge 6-4. While the Welshman looked set for a runaway win after establishing a 5-0 lead, Klinge mounted a late comeback that brought the score to a single-leg margin before Price finally closed out the match. Price is now set to face Jim Long in the next stage.
Other first-round action saw Motomu Sakai edge past Callan Rydz in a 6-5 thriller, while James Wade also required a final-leg decider to overcome Damon Heta 6-5. Jonny Clayton earned his place in the next round by defeating Maik Kuivenhoven 6-3 and will now meet Sakai. These results follow a major upset on Thursday that saw defending champion Michael van Gerwen eliminated by Daryl Gurney. Meanwhile, world number two Luke Humphries, who advanced past Wattimena, is scheduled to face Dirk van Duijvenbode. The report also notes that there would be no repeat here as Noppert won three straight legs to take a 3-1 lead.
