Gian van Veen delivered a stunning performance to defeat world number one Luke Humphries 5-1 in the PDC World Championship quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace on Thursday night. The Dutchman, who had lost his previous three matches to Humphries, produced a blistering display, averaging 105.41 and hitting 55 per cent of his doubles.
Van Veen, who described it as the biggest win of his career, said: 'You see this smile? It won’t go away in the next 24 hours. I’m so over the moon. I felt really good all day and a 105 average sums that up. Unbelievable.' He added: 'He’s a fantastic player. We all know we have to play at our best to even have a chance to beat Luke. Luckily I did that today.'
The 21-year-old, who now becomes the highest-ranked Dutchman after surpassing Michael van Gerwen, will face his idol Gary Anderson in the semi-finals. 'I’m really looking forward to tomorrow night against my idol Gary Anderson. I’ll be ready,' he said.
In the earlier quarter-final, world champion Luke Littler continued his quest for back-to-back titles with a dominant 5-0 whitewash of Krzysztof Ratajski. Littler was untroubled throughout, averaging 105 as he cruised into the semi-finals.
Humphries, gracious in defeat, acknowledged van Veen’s quality: 'He’s been hammered, ultimately, even if it was a close game in a lot of ways. The fifth legs of sets were decisive. But after a slightly nervous start, van Veen reached a blistering standard.'
Van Veen’s victory was his fifth straight over Humphries, three of which have come at major tournaments. His performance drew praise from pundit Wayne Mardle, who described it as 'the display of a man fit to become world champion.'
