"Honestly, the best set I've ever seen" – Darting media go crazy for all-time epic between Van Veen and Anderson

The semi-final between Gian van Veen and Gary Anderson at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship made a deep impression across the darting world. On Sky Sports, viewers watched in awe at a duel that many observers believe deserves the label “classic.” One set in particular left media and experts astonished and full of admiration.

Van Veen ultimately booked his place in the World Championship final, but the experienced Scot gave him nothing for free. Anderson produced patches of exceptional darts and repeatedly pushed the Dutchman to the limit. That was most evident in the fifth set, a phase of the match already being described as historic.

Sky Sports openly asked whether this might be the highest level ever displayed within a single World Championship set. National newspapers such as The Guardian and tabloids like The Sun rolled out the superlatives and ranked the set among the absolute highlights in World Darts Championship history.

The praise was not based solely on emotion or spectacle, but was backed up by the numbers. Anderson produced, among other things, a 10-darter in that set and averaged an impressive 117.44 for the set. Even that was not enough to take it. Van Veen topped it with a 111.46 average and kept his nerve best at the decisive moments.

What made the set even more special was the timing of the checkouts. Both players threw a maximum 170 checkout, the highest possible finish in darts, something that rarely happens, let alone twice in one set on this stage. Commentator Wayne Mardle was swept up by the intensity and spoke of a set that, in his view, was unmatched by any previous match.

“Gary will be thinking how has this happened?” Mardle said during the set's conclusion. "Honestly, the best set I've ever seen."

That Anderson lost the set despite such numbers underlines how high Van Veen’s level has become. The Dutchman stayed cool, closed out his legs clinically, and showed he can hold firm in absolute top matches.