'It's anybody's game' - quartet ready for Premier League play-offs

Teenager Luke Littler can continue his phenomenal rise on Thursday when he competes in the Premier League Darts play-offs.

He topped the initial group stage and is ready to battle world champion Luke Humphries, seven-time winner Michael van Gerwen and former world champion Michael Smith for the title.

The 17-year-old was at London's O2 Arena on Wednesday for a pre-finals night media day but refused to touch the trophy during the photo opportunity.

"I just don't touch it until I've won it," Littler told BBC Sport.

"We did some filming for the World Championship final and I didn't touch the trophy either, so if I win it, I win it and that's when I'll touch it."

Littler was his usual calm self and said he "will see what happens when he wakes up" when asked about his schedule before the 19:15 BST start on Thursday.

Asked if he had any neres, Littler said: "Not really for the trophy. I've got a semi-final and a final to win. It would mean everything to lift the title though."

The quartet involved won 14 of the 16 nights in the league phase, and Humphries thinks that will lead to an open evening in the season-ending event.

"The last two weeks I've probably been in the better form than everyone else," said Humphries.

"I’ve got that extra little bit of form in front of me, but you know these are the big occasions so I feel like we've got four players that are all up for the big occasion.

"It's anybody's game."

Van Gerwen, who is seeking a third straight Premier League success, added: "I love the game, I love performing on the stage.

"The level is high but I think darts in general the levels keep getting better and better all the time."

Smith goes into the evening as the outsider with the bookmakers but he said that tag "doesn't bother me whatsoever".

"If all the pressure is on them three then I can just relax and chill out," added Smith.

"I still love darts like I did for the first time when I turned pro and I don't think that will ever change."

The Premier League Darts 2024 final takes place as part of the play-off night on 23 May at London's O2 Arena.

It follows 16 nights of league action across different European cities including Manchester, Aberdeen, Exeter and Rotterdam.

Four players are through to the Premier League Darts play-offs: Littler, Humphries, Van Gerwen and Smith.

Teenager Littler, playing in the Premier League for the first time, won four nights on his way to topping the league table with 40 points - a joint-record total in this format.

He'll face Smith in the semi-finals after the 2023 world champion sealed his spot with a win in Sheffield on the final league-stage night.

The pair have met seven times in the Premier League this season, with Smith leading the head-to-head 5-2.

Humphries, another debutant in the tournament, claimed four night wins, including three in a row from week six to eight, to finish second.

He became only the seventh player in Premier League history to finish the league phase with a 100-plus average and is "the one to beat", according to former World Championship semi-finalist Wayne Mardle.

Van Gerwen was far from him best in the group stages, being eliminated in the opening game of the night on eight occasions, but four nightly wins meant he finished third.

The Dutchman has won the previous two years after finishing second and third in the league stage.

The pair have faced each other seven times across different competitions in 2024 and Humphries has won the past six.

Littler and Humphries are looking to follow Gary Anderson in 2011 and Glenn Durrant in 2020 in winning the tournament in their first appearance.

Play-offs features three games - two semi-finals and the final.

The semi-final line-up is decided by the league table, with first facing fourth and second playing third in a best-of-19-leg tie.

The players that finished first and second in the league stage will have the darts and throw first in the semi-finals.

The final, which is played over 21 legs, follows.

Semi-finals (from 19:15 BST)

Best of 19 legs

Luke Littler v Michael Smith

Luke Humphries v Michael van Gerwen

Final (from approx 21:30 BST)

Best of 21 legs

TBC v TBC

The total prize money for Premier League Darts this year is £1m.

All four of the players in the play-offs are guaranteed £85,000, with the winner earning £275,000 and the runner-up £125,000.

The four players who failed to reach the play-offs - Nathan Aspinall, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price and Peter Wright - earn £75,000, £70,000, £65,000 and £60,000 respectively based on their final position.

Each of the 16 nightly winners in the league stage earned a £10,000 bonus too.

Littler is 25th on the Order of Merit, external, having earned £303,500 in prize money.

Humphries leads the standings with over £1.5m, with Smith and Van Gerwen in second and third.

Here's how the table finished after the 16 weeks of the league phase.

Van Gerwen claimed third spot ahead of Smith based on nightly wins.

Players secured two points per quarter-final victory, an extra point for winning their semi-final and five if they won the night.