Ryan Searle is used to overcoming the odds.

Having reached the quarter-finals of the World Darts Championship without dropping a set, the 38-year-old booked his place in the last four by beating world number five Jonny Clayton on New Year's Day.

His reward? A last-four contest with defending champion Luke Littler.

But if Searle is the underdog against the teenage prodigy, then he at least has a history of triumphing over adversity.

Searle lives with a rare eyesight condition called Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy - which affects vision by causing the optic nerve to become progressively thinner.

On particularly bad days, Searle is unable to see where his darts land but he hopes his tale can serve as an inspiration to other sufferers.

"It was only in the last 18 months that I realised what the diagnosis was," said Searle.

"It's been bad for as long as I can remember.

"There's no cure for what I've got so I'm stuck with it. I wear contact lenses now to try and take a bit of the blurriness away from my vision.

"But sometimes on stage I'm asking the caller what I've scored and it puts me in a bit of a difficult position.

"If I can inspire people that maybe can't see as well to pick up the game, then it means a lot to me."

Last week, Littler revealed he had surgery as a child to correct his eyesight.

The 18-year-old was treated at Warrington Hospital to repair strabismus - a condition where the eyes do not align.

Searle has raised more than £10,000 for the Cure ADOA Foundation and has asked some of his opponents in the tournament so far to donate shirts to raffle off to raise more money.

He hopes that a cure can be found so that his daughter, who is registered as visually impaired, can drive a car when she's older.

"It's a hereditary condition, so I've passed it to both of my children," he said.

"My son doesn't have it as bad as as me, but my daughter has it really bad.

"When it gets to about six feet, she can see, but after that her vision gets really bad.

"So, if I can raise a lot of awareness for that and try and find a cure for it, that means a lot to me."

Ryan Searle has been a PDC player since 2016 and has won seven Players Championships events - players earn points in weekly events to reach the finals - in that time, including two in 2025.

He began his career competing in the British Darts Organisation (BDO) between 2011 and 2016.

He has embraced his nickname 'Heavy Metal', originating from both his love of the music genre and use of heavy darts - that weigh 32 grams.

Prior to becoming a professional darts player, Searle worked as a window cleaner.

His previous best World Darts Championship finishes have seen him reach the fourth round in both 2021 and 2022.

In the 2025 tournament, he lost to Ryan Joyce in the third round.

Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy (ADOA) is a rare genetic eye condition.

It is caused by the deterioration of the optic nerve and causes progressive and irreversible sight loss in both eyes.

ADOA symptoms include blurred vision in both eyes and difficulty in recognising colours.

The condition can start in early childhood, and gradually worsens with age.

The most severe form - ADOA-plus - can lead to hearing loss, muscle weakness and stiffness and mobility issues.

There are a variety of diagnostic tests for ADOA, but there are no treatments to prevent or reverse it. Wearing prescribed glasses or contact lenses can help improve quality of life for those living with the condition.

Luke Littler v Ryan Searle

Gian van Veen v Gary Anderson

Semi-final matches are best of 11 sets and will be played on 2 January from 19:30 GMT.