Gian van Veen defeated Gary Anderson 6-3 in a thrilling semi-final to set up a meeting with defending champion Luke Littler in Saturday's final of the PDC World Darts Championship. Van Veen, who lost his opening match in his two previous visits to Alexandra Palace, recovered from a mid-match fightback by the two-time champion to book his first final appearance.
Earlier, world number one Luke Littler cruised into his third final in three appearances with a 6-1 victory over Ryan Searle. After losing the first set, Littler won six consecutive sets to seal the win. 'It's a massive prize, but it's the trophy on the stage, it's not the money,' Littler said. 'Ever since the Grand Slam I have just said I want to go back-to-back.'
Van Veen led Anderson 4-1 before the Scot won two sets to reduce the deficit. The Dutchman held his nerve to close out the match, finishing with a 102.99 average and a 55% checkout rate. During his on-stage interview, Van Veen said: 'Gary threw everything at me, his finishing was great ... the crowd was a bit against me, but it's fair play because Gary is so fantastic. Three or four years ago I was struggling with dartitis, crying after games – look at me now!'
Both players hit a 170 checkout in the same set, and Anderson landed more 180s, but Van Veen's finishing proved decisive. He will now face Littler, who averaged over 102 and hit six 180s in his semi-final. The match was described as an 'instant classic' by commentators, with Van Veen prevailing just before 11pm.
Van Veen added: 'My parents used to drive me all around the Netherlands to play ... it's all been worth it. I never thought this would happen – it's not a dream come true, I never even dreamed about it!' The final, which could be an all-timer, is scheduled for Saturday night at Alexandra Palace.
