Littler advances at World Series Finals in Amsterdam

Luke Littler survived a first-round scare to defeat Danny Noppert 6-4 at the 2026 World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam on Friday, advancing his pursuit of a historic calendar-year Major clean sweep. The world number one trailed 3-1 before rallying to win, describing the comeback as a "great feeling." Littler will face Nathan Aspinall in the second round, a rematch of their World Matchplay contest. The 19-year-old, who has already won the World Championship, World Masters, UK Open, Premier League, and World Matchplay in 2026, is attempting to become the first player to win all 10 televised Major tournaments in a single calendar year. He acknowledged it would be "gutting" if his quest ended in Amsterdam, where he won in 2024 but lost to Michael van Gerwen in last year's final. Littler's match against Noppert was closely contested. After leveling the match at 3-3, Littler tapped his ears in response to boos from the crowd. He later produced a crucial 95 checkout to take a 5-4 lead before closing out the victory. Despite the win, Littler noted a profligate performance on the outer ring, averaging over 98 but hitting only 30% of his doubles. "I'm not putting pressure on myself.