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Luke Littler beat Niko Springer and Nathan Aspinall to set up the quarter-final against Josh Rock [Getty Images]
Luke Littler's World Matchplay title defence continued with a straightforward 16-7 quarter-final win over Josh Rock in Blackpool.
Rock initially kept pace with the world number one as the players traded breaks to reach 5-5.
But after 19-year-old Littler reeled off five legs in a row, there proved to be no way back for Rock as the defending champion, in dazzling form, cruised into the semi-finals.
After throwing 17 180s with a scoring average of 109.57, Littler said: "At the minute, everything's going to plan."
The teenager added: "I feel good. I can afford to miss a few doubles because the scoring's there.
"Once again another brilliant performance, but fair play to Josh, he put up a good fight."
Littler will play unseeded Dirk van Duijvenbode of the Netherlands in Saturday's semi-final.
Earlier on Thursday evening, tournament outsider Van Duijvenbode survived a late surge by Gary Anderson to reach his first Matchplay semi-final.
Anderson, the 2018 World Matchplay champion, threatened to close an eight-leg deficit with a fine late display including a 154 checkout, but Van Duijvenbode held on for a 16-13 win.
Reflecting on his second-round tie-break win over Michael van Gerwen, Van Duijvenbode had said that shaking "like a little child crying for his mum" allowed his compatriot back into match after leading 8-4.
After leading 8-4 again on Thursday, Van Duijvenbode dropped two consecutive legs but then stormed into a 14-6 lead by winning the next six without reply.
However, it would be a further nine legs until Van Duijvenbode won the tie as a resurgent Anderson pushed him hard.
Thursday's World Matchplay results
Numbers in brackets indicate seedings
- Van Duijvenbode 16-13 Anderson (12)
- (1) Littler 16-7 Rock (8)
Friday's World Matchplay schedule
Quarter-finals - action from 20:05 BST
- (3) Gian van Veen vs James Wade (6)
- (7) Gerwyn Price vs Ross Smith (15)
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