Luke Littler will face Ian White in the third round of the World Darts Championship (Image: PDC/GETTY)
’s next opponent Ian White has joked that he’ll have to produce three nine-dart finishes in a row in order to upset the teenager at the .
White overcame European champion Ritchie Edhouse 3-1 to book his spot in round three and will be tasked with stunning Littler after the 17-year-old, who turns 18 on January 21, .
A stunning third set from the , Grand Slam and World Series Finals champion saw him average a tournament record 140.91 with legs of 11, 10 and 11-dart finishes.
Asked how he’ll get the better of Littler, White laughed and revealed his seven-word plan: “I’ll have to come up with 9-9-9.”
White grew up in Runcorn, like the Warrington-born Littler who lived there until the age of six, and said: “I’m playing well and I’m enjoying it. It’s just a case of getting on with it. Loving the challenge, that’s what I wanted, that was my goal – to get through after Christmas and play Luke.
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“The lad’s talented isn’t he? We all know that. He’s put darts on the map again. Everyone wants to come the darts and that’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us.”
He then joked: “I just want to say, he’s from Runcorn the same as me. He’s Runcorn’s number two, I’m number one!
“He’s playing good darts. At the end of the day just go up and enjoy it and give him the best game I can.
“I’ve got no pressure. I’ll just go out and play my darts and hopefully the nine-darter will come in! I’ll probably need about eight of them! I’m looking forward to it, I can’t wait now.
“I’ll upset about 6,00 people out there if I win! Luke Littler has done everything for this sport at the moment. Look at this crowd, the way they are singing. Everyone wants to come to the darts. That’s where you need to be at Christmas.”
Luke Littler is among the favourites to win the World Championship (Image: GETTY)
Littler was moved to tears after beating Meikle to book his spot in the next round, and the 2024 runner-up later explained: “It was the toughest game I’ve played and I had to fight to the end. I knew I had the game, but I had to find it somewhere and fortunately I managed to find it.
“I felt fine in the hours before I played, but as soon as George (referee George Noble) said ‘Game on,’ I was so nervous and I thought, ‘What are you doing?’
“My average in the last set is probably going to be in the headlines already but all that matters to me is the win.”
It has not yet been decided which date and time the two Englishmen Littler and White will face off.
The World Championship will enjoy a three-day break with no action on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Boxing Day.