The Machine Holds On, The Nuke Hits Perfection: Wade and Littler Set Up Fitting Matchplay Finale

Super Saturday at the Winter Gardens delivered a semi-final session for the ages. Two World Matchplay classics unfolded as James Wade survived a dramatic tiebreak victory against a resurgent Jonny Clayton, while nine-dart hero Luke Littler edged past Josh Rock in a thrilling contest packed with quality and drama.

Let’s dive into the action…

Luke Littler in action in his semi-final victory over Josh Rock (Photo by: Getty Images)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (9) James Wade 20 - 18 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (5) Jonny Clayton

James Wade opened with a trademark 15-dart hold to lead 1–0 and narrowly missed double 20 for a 102 finish to double his advantage, but Jonny Clayton held with double 4. Wade then produced a sublime 11-dart leg featuring back-to-back 180s before landing a stunning 161 finish on the bull. Clayton showed his appreciation with a nod and a fist bump before replying with a composed 15-dart break to cut the gap to 3–2 at the first interval.

After the break, Wade began to pull away. He rattled off four straight legs, back-to-back 14-darters, a 13-dart break, and a 15-dart hold to move 7–2 in front. Clayton had just one dart at double in both leg 6 and leg 8, but couldn’t capitalise. He stopped the rot with a 14-dart hold to make it 7–3.

Wade opened the next session with a 13-dart hold, but Clayton responded with a 161 of his own, celebrating with a roar to bring it back to 8–4. Three more routine holds followed, though both players missed key chances to break. Wade missed double 4 in leg 14, while Clayton missed one dart in both legs 13 and 15, leaving Wade firmly in control at 10–5.

Clayton held in 17 darts, surviving a missed dart from Wade, but they continued to trade blows. Wade threw an 11-darter, Clayton matched it, Wade responded with a 14-dart hold, and ‘The Ferret’ followed with another 14-darter to trail 12–8 at the interval.

The run of holds continued after the break, with both players landing 14-darters. Clayton then raised hopes of a comeback with a 15-dart break, finishing 120 to cut the gap to 13–10. But Wade hit back immediately, punishing a missed dart at double 16 to break in 14 darts, then held in 12 to restore a 15–10 cushion. He edged closer to the finish line by capitalising on two more missed darts from Clayton, pinning double 5 to break and go 16–10 ahead.

Just as the match looked over, Clayton launched a remarkable fightback. He strung together back-to-back 15-dart legs, then held in 16 darts. A clinical 25 finish for a 15 dart hold made it four on the spin. With Wade sitting on 60 in leg 31, Clayton nailed another 120 checkout and beamed with belief. Roared on by the Winter Gardens crowd, he completed the comeback with a 13-dart hold, six consecutive legs to level at 16–16, having not allowed Wade a single match dart.

At 16–16, the match went to a tiebreak. From nowhere, Wade found a second 161 checkout on the bull to edge ahead 17–16. He earned a match dart for 116 in the next leg but wired double 18, and Clayton punished with double 10 to level at 17–17.

Under immense pressure, both men held in 14 darts. At 18–18, Wade produced a composed 16-dart hold to move one away, before finally breaking Clayton’s resistance. ‘The Ferret’ missed two darts to force another leg, and Wade found a tricky double 9 for a 14-dart break to close out an epic 20–18 win in one of the great Winter Gardens battles.

Wade fell to his knees in relief before sharing a warm embrace and smiles with his good friend Clayton, a moment of mutual respect after a truly special contest. The result sees Wade reach his seventh World Matchplay final, an astonishing 19 years after his first on debut in 2006, a testament to his elite consistency and longevity at the highest level.

Match Stats:

Wade: 101.79 average | 180s: 8 | 55.56% on Doubles (20/36)

Clayton: 100.97 average | 180s: 9 | 43.90% on Doubles (18/41)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (2) Luke Littler 17 - 14 🇬🇧 Josh Rock

After a warm embrace at the oche, it was down to business, and Josh Rock flew out of the traps. He opened with an 11-dart hold, followed by a 12-dart break and an 18-dart hold to storm into a 3–0 lead. He then punished three missed darts from Littler to take out 85, and despite nearly letting the fifth leg slip, missing six darts at double, he held on in 19 darts as Littler missed two himself. A dream start for Rock, who led 5–0 after the opening session.

Littler responded out of the break with a 14-dart hold, but Rock fired straight back with a 12-darter to lead 6–1. Then came the most perfect leg imaginable. After both players traded 180s to start, ‘The Nuke’ produced a magical 141 finish (treble 20, treble 17, double 15) for a spectacular nine-darter that sent the Winter Gardens into a frenzy. Rock applauded; Littler simply shrugged it off.

The World Champion broke in 14 darts after Rock missed two at double 19, but couldn’t hold the momentum, missing two at the outer ring and allowing Rock to break straight back in 14 darts for a 7–3 lead at the second interval, with Littler visibly frustrated.

Littler started the next session with a 13-dart break, but again failed to hold. Both players missed multiple darts at double, and Rock eventually pinched a scrappy leg in 17 darts to move 8–4 ahead. But the Northern Irishman then faltered, missing one dart to hold in leg 13 and two to break in leg 14. Littler stepped up with clean 90 and 66 finishes to cut the gap to 8–6. Rock regained a three-leg cushion with an 11-dart hold to take a 9–6 lead into the interval.

After the break, Littler sent out a statement. He opened with a clinical 11-dart hold, then broke after Rock missed one dart at tops. A last-dart double 10 got him level at 9–9, and he repeated the trick with another 15-dart break again finishing on double 10 to lead 10–9 for the first time. He then capped a flawless session with a 12-dart hold to lead 11–9, averaging over 115 across the five-leg burst.

The players exchanged holds after the interval, Rock in 13 darts, Littler in 14, before ‘The Nuke’ made another move. He punished three missed darts at double from Rock with a two-dart 25 checkout to break, then held in 14 to stretch his lead to 14–10, keeping his head down and fully focused on the job.

Rock wasn’t finished yet. He held in 13 darts, then pulled off a sensational 170 checkout, two treble 20s, and a perfect bullseye after Littler missed two darts at double. A further miss at tops from Littler allowed Rock to hold again, this time with a 120 finish, and he had won three legs on the bounce to close the gap to 14–13.

Littler responded with a composed 13-dart hold to move 15–13 ahead. He had the chance to move within one of victory but missed double 20 for a break. Rock, after accidentally hitting double 12, followed up with double 10 to finish 44 and stay alive at 15–14. He then piled on the pressure with a maximum to leave 4 in leg 30, but Littler held firm, landing double 10 with his second dart to go 16–14 in front.

Looking to his family for calm before leg 31, Littler produced a ruthless 11-dart break, finishing 86 in two darts to seal victory and book his place in a maiden World Matchplay final in just his second appearance.

The young pair shared a smile and an embrace at the end of a brilliant contest, surely the first of many between them on the big stage. It was an excellent run for Josh Rock, but ‘The Nuke’ marches on, continuing to break records and reach new heights. Another remarkable chapter in the rise of the teenage World Champion.

Match Stats:

Littler: 107.50 average | 180s: 15 | 35.42% on Doubles (17/48)

Rock: 104.15 average | 180s: 14 | 34.15% on Doubles (14/41)

🔥 Up Next: The Final - Veteran Wade vs. Teenage Sensation Littler

It’s a final for the ages at the Winter Gardens, as 42-year-old James Wade, making his seventh World Matchplay final, takes on 18-year-old Luke Littler, who is appearing in his first.

Incredibly, Wade’s debut final in this event came six months before Littler was even born, highlighting the extraordinary generational clash at play. It’s a battle of styles, experience versus youthful brilliance, and a fitting finale to what’s been a stunning tournament in Blackpool.