Luke Littler and Gian van Veen will go head-to-head in Saturday's Paddy Power World Darts Championship final, as two of the sport's most explosive stars bid to become the first million pound World Champion.
Littler is aiming to emulate Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson by becoming the fourth player to retain the Sid Waddell Trophy, having conceded just three sets in reaching a third consecutive World Championship final.
Van Veen, meanwhile, is looking to succeed his compatriots Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen in becoming the third Dutchman to be crowned PDC World Champion, following a terrific campaign at Alexandra Palace.
As we look ahead to what promises to be a thrilling contest in the capital, here's a reminder of how both players have booked their spots in Saturday's showpiece.
Luke Littler
R1: 3-0 v Darius Labanauskas
Littler kicked off his title defence with a comprehensive straight sets victory over Darius Labanauskas, defying a spirited display from the Lithuanian to prevail with a 101.54 average and seven maximums.
R2: 3-0 v David Davies
Another straight sets win followed in round two against Welsh debutant David Davies. Littler added another four maximums to his tournament tally, averaging 97.15 to confirm his progress.
R3: 4-0 v Mensur Suljovic
In round three, Littler recorded another whitewash win over Mensur Suljovic. The Austrian had just enjoyed an upset win against Joe Cullen, but the world number one coasted through for the loss of only three legs, producing an average of 107.09 - his highest on the World Championship stage.
R4: 4-2 v Rob Cross
Littler dropped his first sets of the tournament against 2017/18 World Champion Rob Cross in round four. Cross threatened to send the match into a deciding set, but Littler hung on to win 4-2, landing an astonishing 17 maximums and averaging 106.58 in the process.
QFs: 5-0 v Krzysztof Ratajski
Littler raced into his third consecutive semi-final with a whitewash victory over Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski. The reigning champion reeled in The Big Fish to claim the opening set and posted another three-figure average as he moved into the final four.
SFs: 6-1 v Ryan Searle
Littler dropped the first set of his clash against Ryan Searle, before winning six consecutive sets to seal his spot in Saturday’s showpiece. Searle landed a 170 finish but that didn’t derail the 18-year-old, who finished with an average of 105.35 and a 59% checkout success rate.
Gian van Veen
R1: 3-1 v Cristo Reyes
Van Veen had never won a match on the Alexandra Palace stage in two previous visits, but he quickly rectified that with a 3-1 victory over Spaniard Cristo Reyes, averaging just under 99 in the process.
R2: 3-1 v Alan Soutar
The dynamic young Dutchman really came to life in round two, posting the highest individual match average of the event so far with a breathtaking 108.28 in a 3-1 success against Alan Soutar, who missed a dart to lead the match 2-0.
R3: 4-1 v Madars Razma
The 23-year-old then met Latvia’s Madars Razma in round three of the tournament, and it was Van Veen’s 57% checkout ratio that provided the highlight of his 4-1 victory.
R4: 4-1 v Charlie Manby
Once again, World Youth Champion Van Veen dropped only one set in progressing against debutant Charlie Manby, taking out a champagne 132 finish against the man nicknamed Champagne!
QFs: 5-1 v Luke Humphries
Van Veen’s eagerly anticipated quarter-final against Luke Humphries saw him dominate against the 2023/24 World Champion, closing out a comprehensive 5-1 win. The Dutchman took out a 170 finish, hit 11 180s and averaged 105.41 in a scintillating performance.
SFs: 6-3 v Gary Anderson
Two-time World Champion Gary Anderson stood in the Dutchman’s way in the semi-final. Van Veen took a 4-1 lead but the Scotsman fought back brilliantly. Both players took out 170 checkouts and there were 25 maximums hit in total, before Van Veen held his nerve to seal a 6-3 success and reach his first World Championship final.