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Luke Littler says it is going to take something special to stop him becoming world darts champion and his path to Alexandra Palace glory became clearer after three-time winner Michael van Gerwen crashed out.

The 16-year-old has taken the World Championship by storm and continued his amazing journey by becoming the youngest semi-finalist ever after beating Brendan Dolan 5-1.

It was a new year but the same old brilliance from the precocious Littler, who is on the cusp of producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.

A semi-final against 2018 winner Rob Cross is next up but he will no longer have to meet Van Gerwen in the final after the Dutchman suffered one of the biggest shocks in recent times, going out 5-3 to unseeded Scott Williams in the last eight.

It has been quite a tournament for Williams, who had to apologise for insensitive comments about the war after beating Germany’s Martin Schindler earlier in the tournament, but he let his darts do the talking in a career-best performance, outscoring his illustrious opponent.

Van Gerwen’s exit confirms Littler’s status as a genuine contender to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy on Wednesday.

He has already proven he is ready to compete on the biggest stage after taking out UK Open winner Andrew Gilding and his hero Raymond van Barneveld on the way to the last eight and he maintained that form against Dolan.

And the teenager believes it is going to “take a lot” to stop his juggernaut.

“It feels unbelievable. I would never have thought I would have got to the semis on my debut year,” he said.

“Brendan was just another opponent in my way and I have brushed him aside and now I am into the semi-final.

“It’s going to take a lot to stop me, based on my performances so far. But it is about whatever Luke Littler turns up.

“I have got the ability to go all the way, if it’s not to be tomorrow night, it’s not to be.

“I know I have got a good chance and I have got a good feeling I could go all the way tomorrow.”

Williams said of his famous win: “Words don’t describe it, I am very, very happy.

“Michael is probably the best player in my generation, to be here is crazy ridiculous, but he wasn’t the Michael van Gerwen we have seen over the last few games, but I don’t really care.

“I am just happy to be here for another day. It is not about what he did in this game, it is about what I did. I hit my doubles and my treble 20s.”

Littler will meet Cross in the semi-final after the 2018 champion produced one of the most memorable Alexandra Palace comebacks.

Cross looked dead and buried when he was 4-0 down after barely 45 minutes as Chris Dobey played one of the matches of his life before the former electrician sparked into life and reeled off five successive sets.

“Everyone loves an underdog story,” Cross said. “As the public and people looking at the game, everyone loves an underdog story.

“I am not being rude, I am on Luke’s side, I love an underdog story.

“It took a bit of pressure off me winning it first time as well.

“He’s fantastic and he deserves all the luck in the world, he is a nice young boy. Tomorrow we play darts, though, and I have to go down to business.”

Luke Humphries will meet Williams in the semi-finals as the third seed continued his quest for a maiden title.

Humphries came into the tournament as the favourite after winning three of the last four majors but had endured a bumpy ride to the last eight, surviving a sudden death leg against Joe Cullen in the last round.

But he was back to his best in his quarter-final, dispatching Dave Chisnall 5-1.

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