Gian van Veen produced a stunning performance to defeat world champion Luke Humphries 5-1 in the quarter-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship on Thursday night. Van Veen, who finished with a match average of 105.41 and hit 55 per cent of his doubles, described the victory as the biggest of his career.
“You see this smile? It won’t go away in the next 24 hours. I’m so over the moon,” Van Veen said. “I felt really good all day and a 105 average sums that up. Unbelievable.” The Dutchman now faces his idol Gary Anderson in the semi-finals.
In the earlier quarter-final, Luke Littler whitewashed Krzysztof Ratajski 5-0 to continue his march towards back-to-back titles. Littler, the world champion, was in imperious form, averaging 105 and never allowing his opponent a foothold in the match.
Van Veen’s victory was particularly notable as it marked his fifth straight win over Humphries, three of them at major tournaments. The match was closer than the scoreline suggests, with several sets decided by crucial legs. Van Veen took the third set after Humphries missed chances, and from there his scoring improved dramatically.
“In the first two sets I felt comfortable, but his scoring was way better. He missed a couple of chances, I took the third set and then my scoring was way better,” Van Veen explained. The win also makes Van Veen the second-highest ranked Dutch player, above Michael van Gerwen.
Humphries, gracious in defeat, was ultimately outplayed. Van Veen’s performance drew praise from pundits, with Wayne Mardle describing it as the display of a man fit to become world champion.
