After watching Dirk van Duijvenbode secure his place in the semi-finals by defeating Gary Anderson a day earlier, it was Gian van Veen’s turn to keep Dutch hopes alive.
Van Veen faced veteran James Wade in the quarter-finals, but before a dart had even been thrown, the Dutchman experienced an awkward moment during his walk-on, as captured in the footage below. It was far from the ideal start to one of the biggest matches of his career.
Commentator 2: “No, something else is going on. During the walk-on, someone drew a line on his hand with a marker, and he can’t get it off. It looks like it was done with a permanent marker.”
Once the action got underway, both players struggled to find their best form, making for a scrappy contest in the early stages. Despite the inconsistent standard, Van Veen managed to edge ahead. However, Wade once again showed why he is renowned for his resilience, battling back to level the match at 12-12.
Just when it mattered most, Van Veen found another gear. A superb 118 checkout helped him break Wade’s throw once again, giving the Dutchman a crucial 14-12 advantage and leaving him just two legs away from victory.
Wade refused to surrender and responded immediately with a sensational 121 checkout on the bullseye to break back once more. Nevertheless, Van Veen kept his composure, moved 15-13 ahead, and then sealed an impressive 16-13 victory to book his place in the semi-finals.
Van Veen will now face Gerwyn Price in Saturday’s semi-final, while fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode takes on Luke Littler in the other last-four clash.
The tournament concludes on Sunday, when the finalists will compete for the championship title and the £225,000 winner’s prize.