# Littler cruises into Matchplay semis with win over Rock

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/littler-cruises-into-matchplay-semis-with-win-over-rock/
- Published: 2026-07-23T22:52:10+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-23T23:04:57+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC Sport (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/darts/articles/cg5lylz22gmo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: Art, Culture, Sport

## Key points

- Littler beat Rock 16-7 to reach the Matchplay semi-finals.
- He recorded 17 180s and a 109.57 average.
- Van Duijvenbode will face Littler on Saturday.

## Summary

Luke Littler continued his World Matchplay title defence by beating Josh Rock 16-7 in the quarter-finals in Blackpool, reaching the semi-finals with another dominant performance. The win underlined the world number one’s strong form and set up a Saturday meeting with unseeded Dutch player Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Rock matched Littler at 5-5 before the 19-year-old won five consecutive legs and pulled clear, recording 17 maximum 180s and a 109.57 scoring average. Van Duijvenbode reached his first Matchplay semi-final by holding off Gary Anderson 16-13, having led 14-6 before the 2018 champion mounted a late comeback.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.