The evening session in the UK will see the final two semi final positions determined in the 2025 PDC World Championships at the Alexandra Palace.
The top half of the draw sees former BDO World Champion Stephen Bunting take on two-time PDC World Champion Peter Wright. This match could well come down to how much Wright’s previous match against Luke Humphries has taken out of him. In a sense he has nothing to lose as no one expected him to even go this far, so this could make him very dangerous, but the outpouring of emotion after the match shows what the win meant to him. He has had some time to recover but we will see early on how Wright is because if he gives Bunting early opportunities the Englishman, with all his experience, should leap all over it, and then the questions might return once more. Should the Wright who has demonstrated such self-belief and defiance in this tournament turn up though it will be hard for Bunting to break it down. Wright has made this stage of the tournament six times in his career, but he only twice in this decade. However, on both occasions he won that quarter final and then went on and won the world championship so the omens may be there. Bunting’s record is not as good at this stage. He lost at this stage on his Ally Pally debut in 2015 and did not get back to the quarters until 2021 (which he won but then lost in the semis to Price.) He lost in the quarter finals in 2023 to Michael Smith. Both Price and Smith went on to be world champions in those years, something Wright fans might point to should he progress.
The final match will see Luke Littler take on Nathan Aspinall. Littler has fought through a couple of games this tournament, certainly not doing it with the ease he did last year, but on each occasion there have been times in the match where you have seen his absolute brilliance at the oche. Aspinall has looked good this tournament and has only dropped one set, way back in Round 3 against Leonard Gates. He will not have the support of the crowd on this night and he will have to be careful in responding to that. The longer format again should help Littler, especially with Aspinall still looking to struggle at times with his long-term injuries. Littler won at this stage last year, but Aspinall did not make it this far. He in fact has not made this round in the three previous events to that either, but is undefeated at this stage, having won his quarter finals in the first two PDC World Championships he appeared in. Could it be that Wright will take on Littler in a match that could see the torch passed or withheld, or could it be the two losing semi-finalists in years gone past go head-to-head in a match that would guarantee one would make the final for the first time in Bunting v Aspinall. Of course, it also could be a mixture but whatever it is the story of the semi final will be of great interest.
This session kick offs from 0600am AEDST tomorrow morning (Thursday) on Fox Sports 507 and Kayo Sports in Australia. New Zealand can watch it on Sky Sports at 0800 tomorrow. For those who are PDC TV subscribers you can also watch it on there in Australia and New Zealand.
Wednesday January 1
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Quarterfinals x2
Peter Wright v Stephen Bunting
Luke Littler v Nathan Aspinall
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