Michael van Gerwen staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Luke Littler 6-5 in the Premier League darts Night 12 in Liverpool on Thursday evening.
The seven-time Premier League champion recovered from a seemingly impossible 4-0 deficit to stun the young star.
Littler faced jeers and boos from the Liverpool crowd as he squandered his commanding lead, missing crucial match darts.
The dramatic victory sets up a semi-final clash for van Gerwen against Luke Humphries in what was a thrilling quarter-final encounter.
Luke Littler capitulated from 4-0 up to lose to Michael van Gerwen
PA
Littler started the match in blistering form, hitting back-to-back maximums in the opening leg before breaking van Gerwen's throw immediately.
'The Nuke' continued his dominance with another two 180s in the third leg, taking a commanding 3-0 lead with clinical finishing.
The young star appeared unstoppable as he charged to a 4-0 advantage, leaving the Dutch champion reeling.
Van Gerwen desperately needed to respond as the Liverpool crowd turned against Littler, creating a hostile atmosphere for the teenage sensation.
The Dutchman finally got on the board in the fifth leg after Littler missed a double, pinning tops to make it 4-1.
Littler then missed crucial darts at tops and double-10 in the sixth leg, allowing van Gerwen to punish the error and reduce the deficit further.
With momentum shifting dramatically, van Gerwen completed a brilliant 120 checkout to make it 4-3.
What had looked like a comfortable victory for Littler just minutes earlier had suddenly transformed into a tense battle as the seven-time champion found his rhythm.
Luke Littler was met by a hostile reception by the Liverpool crowd with the 18-year-old telling them to calm down at one point
PA
Littler appeared to regain control with a stunning 160 checkout to extend his lead to 5-3, showcasing the brilliance that had put him ahead initially.
However, van Gerwen refused to surrender, capitalising when Littler missed two match darts in the ninth leg.
The Dutchman then held his nerve to level at 5-5, forcing a deciding leg shootout.
With the momentum firmly behind him, van Gerwen completed his extraordinary comeback by hitting tops in the final leg to seal an improbable 6-5 victory.
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Michael van Gerwen completed an incredible turnaround to win the match
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The statistics revealed van Gerwen averaged 95.53 compared to Littler's 98.77, despite the Dutchman's victory.
Littler dominated the maximum count, firing six 180s to van Gerwen's none, while also throwing more 100+ scores with 14 to van Gerwen's 10.
The crucial difference came in the checkout department, with van Gerwen converting at an impressive 66.7% (6/9) compared to Littler's 41.7% (5/12).
Both players managed one checkout over 100, with Littler's 160 trumping van Gerwen's 120 in what was ultimately a match of fine margins.
