The 2026 World Darts Championship quarter-finals delivered a day of high drama, vintage performances, and dazzling darts, as fans packed the iconic Alexandra Palace and millions tuned in worldwide to witness the sport’s brightest stars battle for a spot in the semi-finals. With the tournament heating up on Thursday, January 1, all eyes were on a stacked evening session featuring the electrifying clash between Luke Littler and Krzysztof Ratajski, followed by the much-anticipated showdown of Luke Humphries versus Gian van Veen.
Earlier in the afternoon, England’s Ryan Searle and Scotland’s two-time champion Gary Anderson booked their places in the last four, each notching impressive 5-2 victories. Searle, who has quietly built a reputation for clinical finishing and steely nerves, overcame Jonny Clayton in a match that saw his streak of not dropping a set finally snapped. Yet, as Searle himself noted, “It was the finishing wot won it: 57 per cent to Clayton’s 25.” That deadly accuracy on the doubles proved the difference, propelling Searle into his first ever World Championship semi-final—an achievement that left him reflecting on his journey: “I think I’m provisionally No7 in the world, which is crazy to me. I can’t see particularly well, so if there are other people out there who want to play darts and can’t see particularly well, I hope I can be an inspiration.”
Searle’s reward? A date with destiny against the winner of the Littler-Ratajski battle. But if Searle’s nerves were jangling, so too were those of Justin Hood, the surprise package of the tournament, who faced off against the legendary Gary Anderson. Hood, who had earlier set a record with 11 consecutive doubles in his win over Justin Rock, pushed Anderson to the limit in a match that swung back and forth. Hood’s doubling was, at times, sensational—he coolly hit tops to level sets and produced 180s to pressure the Scotsman. Yet, Anderson’s experience and ability to produce under pressure shone through. The Scot, averaging over 100 in the final three sets, eventually pulled away, winning several crucial legs in just 15 darts and sealing his place in the semi-finals for the first time since 2022.
“Gary Anderson has been extremely impressive, at times even vintage, in this tournament so far,” wrote one fan, Simon McMahon. “But I always expect him to lose when I watch, I think it comes from being Scottish. Though you can never really lose when you’re a darts fan, can you? There’s always something.” That sentiment echoed around the Palace as Anderson and Hood traded blows, the match played in a fantastic spirit, with both men smiling and the crowd roaring their approval. Hood’s journey may have ended, but his performances have marked him as a serious talent for the future.
As the evening session began, anticipation reached fever pitch. Luke Littler, riding a wave of momentum and looking for his third consecutive quarter-final win, locked horns with Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski. Littler started one leg in trademark fashion, opening with a maximum 180, but couldn’t quite follow it up. Still, he worked his way down to 100 and coolly nailed tops for the set—a sign of his growing maturity on the big stage. Both Littler and Ratajski exchanged heavy scoring, each banging in 180s and putting themselves in strong positions, but the doubles told the story.
Ratajski, a danger man with a reputation for gritty comebacks, missed several crucial doubles in key moments—three at double 16, more at double 12 and double four—while Littler mopped up the scraps, hitting double 10 for a vital break. “We know Luke Littler has got the game to do anything. Krzysztof Ratajski is up against it and he knows that, but he’s a danger,” commented a former World Matchplay finalist on Sky Sports. The tension was palpable as Ratajski eventually found double nine and then double four to keep the contest alive, but Littler’s composure under pressure was clear as he moved a set away from the semis with another clinical finish on double 10.
“To beat Littler at this level you need to be good for 15 legs in a row, not one or two,” observed Stuart from Warrington, capturing the challenge facing anyone hoping to topple the Englishman. Littler’s run to the quarters had seen him drop just two sets, underscoring his consistency and focus. Still, the Polish ace wasn’t about to roll over. Ratajski forced a decider in the fourth set with a stunning 11-dart leg, showing he had the firepower to match Littler when it mattered. Both men kicked off legs with 180s, but neither could quite string together the perfect leg. The crowd, meanwhile, buzzed with anticipation—could this be the night for a nine-darter?
“We are five matches away from seeing who will be the 2026 World Darts Champion and we still haven’t seen a nine-darter. We’ve got Luke Humphries and Luke Littler on the stage tonight. If anyone can, they can,” wrote Charlotte Coates and Adam Millington, capturing the sense of possibility in the air. As of the evening session, the elusive nine-darter remained out of reach, but with the top two-ranked players in the world still to play, fans remained hopeful.
The second match of the evening saw Luke Humphries, another of the tournament’s heavyweights, take on the rising Dutch star Gian van Veen. While the focus remained on the Littler-Ratajski duel, darts aficionados knew Humphries and van Veen both had the pedigree to light up the stage and perhaps even produce the tournament’s first nine-darter.
With the semi-finals set for Friday, January 2, and the final on Saturday, January 3, the stakes couldn’t be higher. England’s Searle, now a semi-finalist for the first time, faces the daunting prospect of battling either Littler or Ratajski, while Anderson’s vintage form has many wondering if he can capture a third world crown. As the action continues, the 2026 World Darts Championship remains gloriously unpredictable—full of drama, high-wire finishes, and the kind of sporting theatre that keeps fans coming back year after year.
And so, as the Alexandra Palace crowd roared and the world watched on, the remaining contenders prepared for the battles ahead. The race for the Sid Waddell Trophy is wide open, and with every dart thrown, the legend of the 2026 World Darts Championship grows a little larger.
