LUKE Littler will face Almos Kovacs on the big stage at Alexandra Palace later this month for the right to be crowned Junior World Darts champion.
Englishman Littler will look to defend the title he won last year when the players meet during the PDC World Championship on December 17.
Littler and Kovacs battled through a quality field of 138 at the Europa Point Stadium to win their respective semi-finals and book their spots in the biggest match in junior darts.
For Littler, 16, victory in the semi-final capped a stunning week, which started on Sunday with victory on television in the PDC World Youth Championship, before back-to-back wins in the Winmau Junior Darts Open and MVG Masters here in Gibraltar.
He averaged 97.32 in his 5-2 semi-final win over fellow Englishman Archie Self, who himself threw 91.65 as he battled hard with Ally Pally on the line.
Kovacs, 17, of Hungary beat Mason Teese of England by the same scoreline to ensure his final game in the JDC – he will be too old to compete next season – will be a shot at the world title.
In the first semi-final, Kovacs broke the Teese throw in the first leg, then took out 110 with Teese sitting on 4 to double his advantage. Teese held throw with a brilliant 154 checkout to make it 2-1, then broke the Kovacs throw for a level match at 2-2.
Kovacs hit 140 and 138 to leave 18 and break again in the fifth for a 3-2 advantage, then fired in the first 180 of the match en route to holding throw as he extended his lead.
That put the Hungarian one leg away from the final – and he booked his ticket to Ally Pally by taking out 60 with Teese sitting on 18.
In the second semi-final, Self was the first player to a checkout – but Littler took out 117 to hold throw with his opponent waiting on tops. Littler then hit two 180s in the second leg en route to breaking Self’s throw in 12 darts.
The defending champion, playing in his last junior world title before turning professional in the new year, then took out 136 with Self sitting on 20 and looking to break.
Self held in the next leg to make it 3-1, but back-to-back 180s in the fifth put Littler in command – and he went out in 12 darts to move within one leg of the final.
Self did not give up lightly and hit a 139 in the next leg to get down to a finish – and even though Littler’s 177 left him on 20, Self took out 94 to hold.
Self again rallied in the seventh leg, his 134 and 119 heaping pressure on Littler. But Littler threw a 126 to leave 22, and with Self unable to clear 73, the defending champion sealed victory.
