"Beforehand I would have always signed up for a quarterfinal" - Gian Van Veen continues to see positive progress at 2025 UK Open

The quarterfinals were the end point for Gian van Veen at the 2025 UK Open in Minehead. The 22-year-old Dutchman failed to replicate the heights of his performances in the previous rounds, losing out to Luke Littler 10-4.

Littler hit a 107 average and seven 180's in a battle of World Youth Champions. A match perhaps many expected to be closer but shows the class of 'The Nuke'. Van Veen told his story afterwards in a post-match interview with Viaplay. "In the beginning he still made a few mistakes on his doubles, but especially at the end there was nothing to do at all," Van Veen admitted.

"In the beginning my scoring didn't go the way I wanted, afterwards I got into my rhythm," continues Van Veen. "But sometimes I was on a double after twelve darts and still he threw everything out. That's bummer of course."

"Luke constantly puts you under pressure," adds the Dutchman. "That was also the case in my match against Damon Heta, but less so, where you get more chances. If you throw a 60 score against Luke, he immediately punishes you with a 140 or a 180."

Still, the positive feeling prevails for Van Veen as he reflects on the tournament as a whole. "Beforehand I would have always signed up for a quarterfinal place," he says. "When I saw the draw last night, I obviously knew I had to go full steam ahead. I had hoped to repeat my level from against Heta, but unfortunately that didn't work out. Still, this was a very nice tournament, I can move forward with this."