Gian van Veen defeated Luke Littler 6-4 on the opening night of the Premier League Darts in Newcastle, avenging his World Darts Championship loss earlier this year. Despite Littler averaging 96.98 to van Veen's 95.55, the world No.1 struggled on his doubles, converting only four of 12 attempts.
Van Veen, 23, ended a three-match losing streak against the teenager, including a defeat at the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters a fortnight ago. Their previous encounter saw Littler thrash van Veen 7-1 at Alexandra Palace just after the New Year.
Sky Sports commentator Dan Dawson highlighted the significance of the result, stating: 'Van Veen shakes his head because he has just become the first player to beat Littler in a premier event for months, and he has not even played his A-game. A statement result for the Dutchman.'
Former world champion Mark Webster praised van Veen's composure, noting after he broke back to level at 4-4: 'Gian van Veen knows this is a huge opportunity to beat Luke Littler with him averaging less than 100.' Webster added that the Premier League 'is made for Gian van Veen' and expects him to reach the play-offs.
Van Veen, who made his Premier League debut, had previously spoken highly of Littler but insisted he is not unbeatable. 'He's not unstoppable, but he's not shown too many signs of being stoppable,' van Veen said. The win narrows their head-to-head record to 4-3 in Littler's favour.
