Aussie Heta defeats teen darts sensation Luke Littler in UK Open

But the Perth thrower's best-ever individual display ended in the last-four on Sunday when he was beaten - by his housemate.

In a thriller at one of the sport's biggest championships, Heta - the former roofer who's climbed to the world's top 10 - beat 17-year-old Littler 10-8 in the quarter-finals in Minehead.

The 36-year-old Heta, now based near the English city of Leicester, won the World Cup for Australia with Simon Whitlock in 2022, but this was the match of his life, racking up a remarkable three-dart average of 106.04 to reach his first major televised semi-final.

It continued the Australian's brilliant start to the year following a players' championship win in Leicester last month and put an end to Littler's hopes of lifting his first trophy in a marquee PDC event.

At one point early in the match, Heta's average topped an outlandish 125 - and it needed to against the remarkable Littler, who has brought unprecedented coverage to the sport since he reached the world championship final in January at just 16.

But Littler couldn't cope with inspired showman Heta, who'd emerged on stage wearing a crazy fire hat and then lived up to his nickname of 'The Heat' as he forged into an 8-4 lead.

"Credit to myself. I was up for it, sometimes I feel like that in practice so I know what it feels like," Heta said of his stellar form.

"To come out on top against Luke Littler, who has taken the media and darts by storm - I love him to bits, to be fair - these are the guys I need to beat."