Overview
- The Alexandra Palace crowd repeatedly backed Cross, drawing visible reactions from Littler during a tense contest.
- Littler’s scoring power told in key moments as he recovered from missed doubles in the sixth set to finish the match 3:2 in legs.
- Rob Cross produced a 126 checkout to claim the fifth set but could not sustain momentum and was eliminated.
- Pre-match analysis rated Littler a heavy favorite, with betting tips highlighting over 8.5 180s based on his prolific maximums this season.
- The result extends Littler’s 12-month surge following his 2025 world title, while Cross’s recent form has slipped toward the edge of the top 20.