Teenage star Luke Littler revealed a diet of cheese and ham omelettes and pizza has been behind his incredible journey to the World Championship final.
The 16-year-old has set the Alexandra Palace alight over the last fortnight and is the youngest ever player to reach the decider of the premier darts tournament after demolishing Rob Cross in the semi-final.
He is now on the cusp of producing one of the greatest sporting stories of all time, which would rival Emma Raducanu’s US Open win in 2021.
It is unlikely Raducanu had pizza before every match of her New York fairytale but it is working for Littler, whose love of kebabs has also been a theme of his run to the final.
“I’ll keep doing what I have been doing, I don’t wake up until 12, in the morning go for my ham and cheese omelette, come here and have my pizza, and then go on the practice board,” he said.
“It is what I have been doing every day – if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.”
Littler has already proved he is the real deal but produced his biggest statement yet as he downed eighth seed Cross 6-2 in stunning fashion.
He bombarded the treble-20 for 16 180s, produced three 130-plus checkouts and averaged 106.05 in a nerveless performance.
‘The Nuke’ is trying to emulate 2018 champion Cross by lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy on debut and few would bet against him as his juggernaut looks impossible to stop – Luke Humphries the man facing that task on Wednesday.
“It’s crazy, it’s crazy to think I am in the World Championship final,” Littler said. “I was happy winning one game, but I could go all the way.
“I haven’t got the words. It’s crazy. I have just settled on that stage.
“It has not even sunk in yet. I have surprised myself.
“I have just got to stay focused and be Luke Littler. I have got to be mature and be myself.
“It would be unbelievable if I won it, I only wanted to win one match.”
He has earned celebrity status and his exploits have transcended the world of darts, already appealing to a younger generation of fans, with broadcaster Sky Sports reporting they had an 18.5 per cent share of all under-35 viewing in the UK for his New Year’s Day quarter-final win over Brendan Dolan.
Littler, who revealed he received pre-match messages from footballers Luke Shaw and Rio Ferdinand, only qualified for the tournament by winning the World Youth Championship in November and his fairytale run has put the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) under pressure to hand him a place in the forthcoming Premier League.
There is more immediate work to do, though, as his attention turns to Wednesday’s showpiece, where he will meet new world number one Humphries.
‘Cool Hand’ delivered one of the best ever performances at Alexandra Palace as he whitewashed Michael van Gerwen’s conqueror Scott Williams.
The 28-year-old came into the event as favourite after winning three of the last four major tournaments and lived up to the billing as he averaged 108.74, threw 13 180s and took out six 100-plus finishes, including the ‘big fish’ 170.
His victory saw him climb above Van Gerwen and Michael Smith to the top of the rankings.
He said: “It feels amazing, I would never have imagined myself to be world number one and I did it in style, I was really pleased with the performance.
“I have always said world number one can last a number of months, world champion is forever.”
Raducanu 'doing what she can' to be fit for Billie Jean Cup
Emma Raducanu has withdrawn from the Hong Kong Open due to a foot injury as she races to be fit for the Billie Jean King Cup next month.
Raducanu has not played since retiring midway through her quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina in the Korea Open last month.
The Briton revealed she had sprained ligaments in her foot and has subsequently missed four tournaments, including the China and Wuhan Open.
Raducanu was targeting a return at next week's WTA 250 event in Hong Kong, but has pulled out of the event after confirming she would not be fit to feature.
"I'm sorry to say that I will not be able to play in Hong Kong next week. Whilst my foot is making good progress, I need a little more time before I am match fit," she wrote on X.
"I hope to be able to come back and play this tournament in the future! In the meantime, I am doing what I can to be ready for BJKC [Billie Jean King Cup]."
But the world number 55's latest withdrawal has raised concerns about her chances of competing for Great Britain at the Billie Jean Cup.
Raducanu is in Great Britain's squad of five players for the competition, joining Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson and Olivia Nicholls.
Anne Keothavong's side take on Germany on November 15 in Spain, though Raducanu faces an uphill battle to be fit.
Raducanu confirms China Open withdrawal after another injury setback
Emma Raducanu has confirmed she will not play at this week's China Open after sustaining a foot injury.
Raducanu was forced to withdraw from her Korea Open quarter-final match against Daria Kasatkina after needing a medical timeout in the opening set.
The Briton was initially included in the draw for the Beijing event, but confirmation of her withdrawal was revealed soon afterwards.
The world number 54 was due to face a qualifier in the first round, with Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen potentially waiting in the next round.
"I sprained some ligaments in my foot which unfortunately need some more time to heal," Raducanu wrote on X.
"It means I can't play in Beijing but I hope to be back competing as soon as I can."
Raducanu has again struggled with injuries during the 2024 season but has managed to rise up the rankings, playing 33 matches on the WTA Tour this term.
She suffered a lower back injury during the Miami Open in March and was also hampered by a stomach bug at the Australian Open in the first major of the year.
The Briton also sat out the French Open but managed to reach the last 16 at Wimbledon, though an untimely slip against Lulu Sun saw her bow out in three sets.
The Korea Open was her first tournament since losing in the first round of the US Open, and she is next scheduled to play in Wuhan, China next month.
Raducanu retires from Korea Open quarter-final with foot injury
Emma Raducanu was forced to retire from her Korea Open quarter-final against Daria Kasatkina with a foot injury.
Raducanu, who beat Peyton Stearns and Yue Yuan on her way to a last-eight showdown with the top seed, withdrew from the contest after losing the opening set 6-1.
The 21-year-old was looking to make her second WTA Tour semi-final this year, but struggled against the Russian who had beaten her in straight sets in both previous encounters.
Raducanu found herself immediately on the back foot after losing her opening game on serve, but got her first point on the board in the third game.
Kasatkina then took control, racing into a comfortable lead as Raducanu required a medical timeout after the fifth game, having been broken to love.
Despite a spirited showing in the final game that saw Raducanu handed a break point opportunity, Kasatkina held firm before seeing her British opponent retire.
The world number 13 will face compatriot Diana Shnaider in the semi-finals, with a potential showpiece match against Beatriz Haddad Maia or Veronika Kudermetova awaiting her.
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