Luke Littler reigns in Riyadh to claim fifth World Series crown
Luke Littler reigns in Riyadh to claim fifth World Series crown
Luke Littler delivered a dominant sequence of performances to lift his fifth World Series of Darts title, storming to victory at the inaugural Riyadh Season Saudi Arabia Darts Masters on Tuesday night.
The reigning World Champion was at his brilliant best inside the Global Theatre, capping off a superb Finals Day by defeating Michael van Gerwen 8-5 in a high-quality decider to deny the Dutchman back-to-back Middle East titles.
On a memorable evening in Riyadh, Littler also accounted for Gian van Veen and Gerwyn Price, before producing a composed display in the final, averaging 104.84 to secure the first Saudi Arabia Darts Masters crown.
Fast start proves decisive
Littler exploded into life early in the final, checking out a stunning 132 on the bull in the second leg and following that up with a trio of 13-dart legs to race into a commanding 4-0 advantage.
Van Gerwen responded with typical resilience, reeling off legs and landing a fine 121 finish to claw his way back to 4-3. However, missed doubles from the three-time World Champion allowed Littler to reassert control, punishing the lapse with a clinical 115 checkout.
Although momentum swung again in the latter stages, Littler never relinquished his grip on the contest, sealing victory with a superb 11-darter to close out the match in style.
“I’m really happy to win this one,” said Littler, who celebrates his 19th birthday on Wednesday.
“It didn’t go my way in Bahrain last week, so to come here for the first time and win this event feels amazing.
“Michael fought back well, but I managed to find my rhythm again at the right time. I’ll enjoy my birthday and then take a few days off in Dubai with my family.”
Sensational semi-final comeback
Earlier in the night, Littler produced one of the performances of the tournament to overcome Van Veen in the semi-finals, rallying from 3-0 and 4-3 behind to claim a thrilling 6-4 victory.
The world number one averaged a staggering 111.58, unleashing a devastating late surge that featured legs of 11, 12 and 12 darts, capped by a match-winning 124 finish on the bull.
He then completed another comeback against Price in the quarter-finals, overturning a 4-2 deficit to avenge his defeat to the Welshman in last week’s Bahrain Darts Masters.
Van Gerwen shows resilience
Van Gerwen’s route to the final began with a gritty 6-4 win over Stephen Bunting, in a remarkable contest that saw nine consecutive breaks of throw.
The Dutchman followed that up with a strong semi-final showing against Nathan Aspinall, recovering from an early deficit to win seven of the final eight legs and close out a 7-5 success with a 100.28 average.
Despite missing out on a record-extending 18th World Series title, Van Gerwen remained upbeat.
“Luke played unbelievable darts tonight,” said the Dutch star.
“Going 4-0 down made it difficult, but I found my game after that. Credit to Luke – he was the deserved winner.
“For my first time here, there are plenty of positives to take.”
Finals Day drama elsewhere
Aspinall reached the semi-finals after edging past Man Lok Leung, who once again impressed on the big stage following his historic run earlier in the event.
Meanwhile, Gerwyn Price booked his place in the last four with a dramatic quarter-final win over Luke Humphries, fighting back late on to inflict another Riyadh exit on the world number two.
What’s next?
With the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters concluded, the World Series of Darts will resume in June with the Nordic Darts Masters in Copenhagen on June 5-6.
Before then, attention turns to the Winmau World Masters at Arena MK in Milton Keynes from January 29–February 1, where Humphries will attempt to defend his title.
Luke Littler reigns in Riyadh to claim fifth World Series crown
2026 Riyadh Season Saudi Arabia Darts Masters
Tuesday January 20
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Man Lok Leung
Luke Littler 6-4 Gian van Veen
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Luke Humphries
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 7-5 Nathan Aspinall
Luke Littler 7-5 Gerwyn Price
Final
Luke Littler 8-5 Michael van Gerwen
