UK Open: Luke Littler and Luke Humphries through to the quarter-finals

Luke Littler and Luke Humphries both booked their place in the UK Open quarter-finals with victories in Saturday’s fifth and sixth rounds.

World champion Littler defeated Jermaine Wattimena 10-4, before battling past Krzysztof Ratajski 10-8 in Minehead.

Meanwhile, world number one Humphries dominated his two matches, sweeping aside Ryan Searle 10-0 and then breezing into the last eight with a 10-2 win against Ryan Joyce, averaging 101.59.

Littler will face Dutchman Gian van Veen in Sunday’s quarter-finals, while Humphries will take on fellow Englishman James Wade.

Humphries, twice a UK Open runner-up, told ITV his finishing has been “really good”.

The 30-year-old added: “My scoring is decent, but I know it can be better. If I can really up the scoring, I could be very, very, very dangerous.”

Following a comfortable fifth-round victory over Dutchman Wattimena, teenager Littler had to dig deep to overcome Poland’s Ratajski in the last 16.

Littler was 6-2 ahead when Ratajski won the next four to level. The pair were evenly matched in the closing stages before world number two Littler sealed the success with a single one and double two.

“I made it harder than it looked, but I just had to stick in there and get the win,” said the 18-year-old.

Dutchman Michael van Gerwen was a shock departure in the fifth round, losing 10-8 to Welshman Rob Owen, who was then beaten 10-8 by Wade.