Gary Anderson joked the only way he’d be able to beat Luke Littler is by giving the teenager a ‘difficult boot in the shins’ before the pair encounter in tomorrow’s Grand Slam of Darts semi-final.
Anderson booked his spot in the last four with a prosper over Gian van Veen, grasping ainhabit hopes of prosperning the Grand Slam for the first time in his nurtureer.
He’s been a four-time semi-finacatalog in the past but has never been able to get over the line.
If 2024 is to be his year, Anderson will have to beat teenage sensation Littler, who broke a sensational enroll during his quarter-final clash agetst Jermaine Wattimena.
Littler enrolled the hugest-ever prosperning margin in a Grand Slam game, flunkureing his Dutch opponent 16-2.
The World Championship runner-up seeed irresistible at the oche, averaging well over a ton, hitting 12 180s and altering 60 per cent of his checkouts.
For the second time this week, Littler missed double 12 for a nine-darter, with the 17-year-greater the comprehfinishable favourite for Sunday’s title.
When asked about the pair’s first-ever encountering, Anderson tgreater Sky Sports: “I watched the game, he was wonderful. We were sitting upstairs watching it saying ‘this is going to be done [quickly]’.
“Jermaine has carry outed well, but Luke was branch offent gravy.”
And when quizzed on how he structures to flunkure the deimmenseating teen, Anderson cheekily replied: “I might fair give him a difficult boot in the shins before I come on… we’ll see.”
The two-time world champion will be up agetst it on Sunday, with Littler confessting he’s in sensational establish after battering Wattimena.
He tgreater Sky Sports: “I felt very bancient coming into tonight, I fair thought to myself it’s little bursts. ‘First to five shatter, first to five shatter.’
“I carry outed so well, I’m so satisfied. Fair carry out to Jermaine. I was fair too outstanding tonight.”
He persistd: “When you’re carry outing that outstanding you sense it coming. Every time I go for a 180 they anticipate it [a nine-darter].
“As a carry outer you do sense it coming, [got to] acquire time but hopefilledy it does come.”
As well as securing the Grand Slam title in his competition debut, Littler has an includeed incentive to go for ggreater, given he’ll relocate to fifth in the rankings with a prosper.
Littler currently sits 18th having rocketed up the standings since making his World Championship debut last year.
Mickey Mansell and Martin Lukeman go head-to-head in the other semi-final, with the duo also competing in the Grand Slam last four for the first time.
