In a dazzling display of skill and poise, Luke Littler, the reigning world champion and the youngest player to ever hold the title, advanced to the second round of the PDC World Masters with an impressive 3-0 victory over Andy Baetens in Milton Keynes.

Coming off the back of his historic win earlier this year, Littler, just 18 years old, showcased his phenomenal talent on home soil, only losing a single leg during the match which lasted a mere 10 minutes. With an impressive average of 104.33, Littler demonstrated an efficiency that left his opponent struggling to keep up.

This victory propels Littler into the next round where he is set to face James Wade, the 15th seed, who narrowly edged out Mike de Decker with a 3-2 win. The atmosphere around Littler is electric, as fans eagerly anticipate this highly anticipated matchup.

In other notable matches on Friday, world championship runner-up Michael van Gerwen secured a 3-1 victory against Bradley Brooks, setting the stage for a clash with Dimitri van den Bergh, who defeated Scottish 14th seed Gary Anderson by the same scoreline to advance to the last 16.

The round also saw Cameron Menzies, who stunned sixth seed Dave Chisnall with a 3-1 upset, preparing to meet Nathan Aspinall after the latter's solid 3-0 win over Andrew Gilding. Furthermore, Ryan Searle triumphed over tenth seed Chris Dobey 3-1, leading to an encounter with Jonny Clayton, who dazzled with a remarkable average of 112.77 in his victory over Martin Schindler.

The stage is set for an exhilarating continuation of the tournament as the competition heats up with remarkable talent and fierce rivalries on display. Will Littler continue his dominant run? Stay tuned!