Luke Littler’s bid for back-to-back World Series titles got under way with a straightforward 6-2 win over a tetchy Dirk van Duijvenbode at the Dutch Masters.

Having followed up a remarkable run to the PDC World Championship final with victory at last week’s Bahrain Masters, Littler, who turned 17 on Sunday, was relatively untested by his Dutch opponent.

The teenager was far from his best, averaging 90.85, although a stunning 150 checkout saw him set up a mouthwatering quarter-final against Luke Humphries on Saturday in a repeat of their World Championship final.

There was a minor flash point when Van Duijvenbode seemed to gesture towards Littler, who composed himself by briefly stepping away from the oche to take a sip of water at the Maaspoort Den Bosch.

Whether Van Duijvenbode was irritated at his performance, his rival or the crowd was unclear but the incident did not disrupt Littler and the pair shared a friendly handshake at the end of the contest.

Littler is growing accustomed to the cheers of the crowd but was greeted by a smattering of boos during his walk-on, making light of the situation by cupping his hands to his ears.

He settled immediately with a 180 and seven days after his nine-dart first leg in Bahrain, hopes were fleetingly raised of a repeat performance in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, which were soon extinguished.

Littler won the opening leg, accidentally finding double 20 then double 10 to take out 60 before thudding into tops more conventionally to go 2-0 ahead.

Van Duijvenbode pulled one back but seemed to be distracted and, on more than one occasion aimlessly threw a third dart, at one point motioning at Littler, who looked on bemused at what was happening.

An unflustered Littler moved 4-1 ahead and while the pair then traded legs, the youngster sealed a quarter-final spot with a fantastic checkout, taking out two treble 19s and finishing with double 18.

Littler was beaten 7-4 in the World Championship final earlier this month but can gain a measure of revenge over Humphries, who booked his spot in the last eight with a 6-0 win over Jermaine Wattimena.

Mark Allen registered the second 147 of this year’s Masters as he edged past Mark Selby 6-5 and into the semi-finals.

After losing the first two frames, Allen got off the mark by producing another maximum to add to Ding Junhui’s in the opening round at Alexandra Palace, the third of the Northern Irishman’s career.

Selby subsequently moved 4-1 ahead before Allen claimed four frames in a row, including a break of 103, to take the lead.

After Selby brought things level again, Allen took the final frame to book a semi-final clash with Ali Carter.

Speaking after his match, Allen said: “I don’t know where that maximum came from because it was a really poor performance tonight.

“You never know how a match can change. I was applying myself really well, I just couldn’t find any rhythm and, as the match went on, I grew into it.

“Any win against Mark is a good win, so I’ll take that into tomorrow, but I’ll need to play better.”

Carter earlier knocked out defending champion Judd Trump in another contest that went down to the wire.

Carter was losing 5-4 and facing an exit in the 10th frame only for his opponent to over-cut the matchball red, allowing the 44-year-old to seize his chance and produce a 43 clearance to take it to a decider.

Boosted by that momentum, a break of 64 then saw Carter, who had been 4-2 up, only for Trump to fight back with a break of 129 on his way to winning three frames in succession, through to only his second Masters semi in 13 attempts.

“For all the money, I looked like going 5-3 in front and lost my composure for a couple of frames,” Carter said in his post-match interview.

“I felt like I worked really hard but was delighted to make an unbelievable clearance to force a decider.

“Then how I’ve held myself together there, I don’t know – that’s a feather in my cap.”

The other semi-final sees Ronnie O’Sullivan face Shaun Murphy.

Three-time winner Mark Selby cruised through to the last eight of the Masters with a 6-1 victory over Robert Milkins at Alexandra Palace.

World number five Selby, who won the tournament in 2008, 2010 and 2013, raced into a 4-0 lead and although Milkins briefly stemmed the tide by taking the fifth frame, the result was never in doubt.

Selby produced a 119-break in the second frame of the evening match to assume control and compiled four more frame-winning half-century breaks to seal a convincing win.

The four-time world champion made scores of 70 and 74 in the final two frames to stay on course for a sixth appearance in the Masters final.

Mark Allen had earlier conjured a break of 86 in the final-frame decider to oust John Higgins and advance to the quarter-finals.

A week after 16-year-old Luke Littler thrilled during the World Darts Championship it was two old-timers that were starring at Ally Pally.

Higgins, a two-time champion, looked to be in control as back-to-back 80-plus breaks put him 3-1 up.

But world number three Allen won the next two scrappy frames, thanks to some wayward potting by Higgins to draw level.

The Northern Irishman had to wait until frame seven to make his first half-century break as he took the lead for the first time and then a sumptuous 123 clearance – the best of the match – put him one frame away.

Higgins had been looking beaten for the previous 30 minutes but summoned his renowned fighting spirit to reduce the deficit after winning the tactical battle and then sent it to a decider with a 61 break.

But hopes of a comeback were put to bed as Allen produced his decisive break to set up a last-eight tie with Selby.

He said: “It wasn’t a phenomenal contest, we were both a bit edgy, but any win against John is a good win so I will take it.

“Strangely I didn’t feel too bad in the last frame because 5-3 to 5-5 I didn’t feel like I’d done much wrong.

“I missed two really tricky shots, so I was looking forward to getting a chance and when John missed that long red I was fearing the worst but I got another chance and I made the most of it.”

Mark Allen produced a break of 86 in the final-frame decider to oust John Higgins and advance to the quarter-finals of the Masters.

A week after teenage sensation Luke Littler thrilled during the World Darts Championship it was two old-timers that were starring at Alexandra Palace.

Higgins, a two-time champion, looked to be in control as back-to-back 80-plus breaks put him 3-1 up.

But world number three Allen won the next two scrappy frames, thanks to some wayward potting by Higgins to draw level.

The Northern Irishman had to wait until frame seven to make his first half-century break as he took the lead for the first time and then a sumptuous 123 clearance – the best of the match – put him one frame away.

Higgins had been looking beaten for the previous 30 minutes but summoned his renowned fighting spirit to reduce the deficit after winning the tactical battle and then sent it to a decider with a 61 break.

But hopes of a comeback were put to bed as Allen produced his decisive break to set up a last-eight tie with either Robert Milkins or Mark Selby.

He said: “It wasn’t a phenomenal contest, we were both a bit edgy, but any win against John is a good win so I will take it.

“Strangely I didn’t feel too bad in the last frame because 5-3 to 5-5 I didn’t feel like I’d done much wrong.

“I missed two really tricky shots, so I was looking forward to getting a chance and when John missed that long red I was fearing the worst but I got another chance and I made the most of it.”

Defending Masters champion Judd Trump held his nerve to summon a match-winning break of 65 and beat Kyren Wilson 6-5 in a fluctuating first round clash at Alexandra Palace.

Trump stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to reel off five frames in a row and put himself on the brink of victory before a costly miss in the penultimate frame handed his opponent the initiative.

Wilson looked set to wrap up victory himself when he got in first in the decider but he left a red dangling over the middle pocket on a break of 51 and two-time winner Trump coolly stepped up to book his place in the last eight.

Trump told Eurosport: “It was a bit of a scrappy game and it was nip and tuck the whole way through.

“I felt like I threw it away at 5-4. Kyren made an amazing break to go 5-5 and it looked like he would get over the line but he just left that little gap and I took it quite well.”

Breaks of 65 and 76, as well as a superb clearance of 34 to the pink after Trump’s 58 in frame three, helped Wilson race into a 3-0 lead.

Contributions of 42 and 52 saw Trump finally get on the scoreboard before the mid-session interval and the former world champion then got back on level terms with breaks of 101 and 83.

Trump won the seventh frame to edge in front for the first time and also took the next, a scrappy affair which lasted 40 minutes, to lead 5-3, only for Wilson to edge a tense ninth frame to keep the match alive.

Wilson drew level after a brave long red sparked a frame-winning clearance of 58, but he could not repeat the feat when it mattered enabling Trump to sink the final black to get over the line.