These exploits did not prevent them from being eliminated. Beautiful but cruel… The two players can nevertheless console themselves with a very nice consolation gift. This feat allowed them to collect a bounty of 60,000 pounds sterling.
Joe Cullen’s “Big-Fish” against Gerwyn Price
Joe Cullen also offered emotions to the English public. Getting off to a bad start in his match against Gerwyn Price in the 3rd round of the competition, the Englishman had the good idea to slam a “Big Fish”, namely a checkout of 170 to equalize at five rounds all. It was ultimately his opponent who won in the decisive 11th set.
140 average and tears for Luke Littler
Darts phenomenon Luke Littler, finalist last year, has once again this year confirmed all the good things we think of him. In the second round, the 17-year-old prodigy produced the best set in tournament history with an average of 140.91 per set. The 4th player in the world missed a nine-darter by a few millimeters in the same round. Before ending in tears during his post-match interview.
An anthology match between Michael Van Gerwen and Callan Rydz
Michael Van Gerwen and Callan Rydz also offered us an anthology match in the quarter-finals of these 2025 World Championships. Pushed to their limits, it was ultimately “MVG” who emerged at the end of an epic duel completed with an average of 104 and 103 respectively.
“One of the best performances I have had in a long time,” smiled the Dutchman, three times world champion.
And who knows what other moments the final between Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen can still have in store for us… A nine-darter like in 2023 between “MvG” and Michael Smith? The fans dream of it.
The answer will be known from 9 p.m. The final is broadcast in Belgium on RTL Play and VTM.
Mixed results for Belgium in darts
On the Belgian side, this 2025 vintage had a rather bitter taste. Our three representatives present in London to defend Belgium from darts did not have time to make “Alexandra Palace” vibrate for long.
Kim Huybrechts lost in the first round to his nemesis Keane Barry.
Outsider to the final victory, Mike De Decker, had to pack his bags in the 2nd round after a surprise defeat against the Englishman Luke Woodhouse.
Dimitri Van Den Bergh, semi-finalist in 2023, was sharply eliminated in the 3rd round of the Worlds.
They pocketed 7,500 and 15,000 and 25,000 pounds sterling respectively.
