World number one Luke Littler continued his title defense at the World Matchplay with a convincing 16-7 victory over Josh Rock in their quarter-final match in Blackpool.
Littler, 19, controlled the match after an early 5-5 tie. He then won five consecutive legs, establishing a lead that Rock could not overcome. Littler's strong performance included 17 maximum 180s and a scoring average of 109.57.
"At the minute, everything's going to plan," Littler stated after the match. "I feel good. I can afford to miss a few doubles because the scoring's there."
He will face unseeded Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode in the semifinals. Van Duijvenbode reached his first Matchplay semifinal earlier on Thursday, defeating Gary Anderson 16-13. Despite a late surge from Anderson, which included a 154 checkout, Van Duijvenbode held on for the win. He reflected on a previous match where he felt he allowed his opponent back into the game after leading.