"I probably got a little bit involved, I know I shouldn't do that": Gian van Veen defies whistling fans and England chants to dump out James Wade
PDC
Gian van Veen saw off James Wade but he had not only a tough tie to deal with but also he had to deal with whistling and booing from members of the crowd as he won through 16-13 at the World Matchplay.
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Van Veen averaged 93 but hit 55% of his doubles to get over the line and set up a blockbuster showdown with Gerwyn Price on Saturday night in Blackpool.
"It feels really good, especially because I didn't play that well in the quarter-final. I think that gives me even more confidence that, even though I'm not playing as well as I want to be, I'm still into the semi-final of the World Matchplay, and I'm over the moon about that," said Van Veen to the media including DartsNews.com.
Asked if it was more important of a win as it was James Wade, he said that he might think that tomorrow but right now that isn't really the case. "Maybe. I would say that maybe tomorrow. Right now I just feel like I didn't score well enough. Even though I won, I'm not as happy as I was when I beat Wessel two days ago.
"I think if I look back at it tomorrow, I'll think, "OK, you beat James Wade at the Winter Gardens," a player who's always played well here. But for now, I'm just happy with the win."
He lost 16-13 to James Wade last year and so made amends with that. But he said that in reality he didn't have any flashbacks as Wade was ahead throughout last year while it was a different kettle of fish this time around.
"Not really, because last year he was ahead of me, like 9-4 or 9-5. I was always chasing him. This year it was the other way around.
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When he came back to 11-10, I just thought, "OK, you need to score well now." Luckily I did. I wasn't scoring well for most of the game, but after the fourth break, after the 20th leg, I started scoring better and I think that really sealed the game for me.
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Dealing with the crowd and not being at his best
Van Veen has managed to reach the latter stages without being at his best at all and he said that it shows that while he still has a way to go that he can still do it without being 100% at his best perhaps less so than last year due to health issues.
"I'm learning a whole lot about myself. Even though I've not been playing as well as I want to in 2026, I think this has been the biggest learning year for me.
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"Even though I'm not playing as well as I want to be, I'm still winning games and still getting to the semi-finals of the World Matchplay. When you're still in, there's always a chance to improve in the next game.
"So I'm looking forward to tomorrow. But for now, I'm just so happy with this win, even though I didn't play anywhere near my best."
He also had to encounter the partisan nature of a British crowd as he was whistled at junctures and he was seen pointing at someone in the crowd. Not someone usually to get involved as he said himself, he did so on this occasion.
"I heard a few whistles when I was on 64 and then again on the 118 finish. Normally I don't get involved in all that, but today, because I probably didn't feel as comfortable as I hoped, I got a little bit involved. I know I shouldn't do that, but today it felt right.
Gian van Veen silenced the boos in victory.
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"As soon as I hit the 118 on double 19, I was like, "OK, this one's for you." Even though he probably doesn't even know me and I don't know him. I'm just glad I hit that finish."
He also had the crowd chanting England at him so he had to deal with that too. "It can be tricky if you get really involved. I know from experience not to get too involved.
"Yes, I reacted on two finishes, but that's about it. Not during the legs and not to everything they were doing. They were chanting "England" for the last ten legs, but I didn't pay any attention. I just wanted to focus on my own game. I hit a couple of good finishes and my scoring got better towards the end. I know that if you get involved every three darts, then it's going to be trouble. Luckily I didn't today."
Gian van Veen faces a stern test right away at the World Matchplay
Proving a point and doing it at less than his best
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James Wade has made a career out of so-called Wading as Dan Dawson dubs it where he averages less than his opponent and still wins. "I'm into the semi-finals. I've played three games this tournament and in all three I've averaged lower than my opponent. So if I can have the same career as James Wade in 20 years' time, then I'll be a happy player because he's won a lot of majors.
"Of course you always want to play at your best level. I haven't done that so far, but I'm still in the tournament and that's the only thing that matters to me right now."
He was asked if he had a point to prove as he wasn't one of the favourites despite basically being World Number Two in reality. "Before the tournament, yes, for sure. I knew Krzysztof Ratajski in the first round was always going to be difficult. Then I knew I'd probably play Wessel Nijman in the second round.
"According to the bookmakers, Wessel was one of the favourites to win the tournament. Before we played, everyone was talking about how well he was playing and how good he is. I felt like I was being pushed to the side. It felt like everyone expected Wessel to win anyway.
"Winning that match gave me so much confidence to prove the doubters wrong and also to prove myself wrong, because I didn't really believe in my game over the last couple of months, even though I probably should have.
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"That gave me a lot of confidence coming into today. Even though I didn't play well, I still finished well and got through."
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Top Dutch player and World Number Two spot
He was asked about being the top Dutch player and said that he doesn't feel like he has eclipsed MVG either, but that he is playing consistently well, so is doing it when it matters. "Well, I wanted to say I'm the only Dutchman left, but Dirk is still in! Michael van Gerwen is still playing well. He's not doing as well in the majors, but he's still playing well. Wessel Nijman is doing very, very well on the floor and in European Tour events.
"As you said, I'm doing well in the majors. I think that's what matters most. I lost my first game at the UK Open, but I played well at the World Masters and reached the semi-finals. Now I'm in the semi-finals here, so I think I'm playing well when it matters."
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He could feasibly go to World Number Two in the PDC Order of Merit this weekend, but he said that no matter what he doesn't feel like that anyway. "It would be nice, but I've said in previous interviews that I don't feel like I'm playing like the world number three or two at the moment. If I keep winning my games, I don't care about the averages. I just want to win.
"If I win the next game, I think I'll move up to world number two. But it's going to be difficult against Gezzy. I know that if I play well, I've got a good chance. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, I'm very happy being world number three."
Hear from his next opponent James Wade.
He also described the challenge that now awaits him as he faces off against Gerwyn Price for a spot in the World Matchplay final.
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"If I play like I did tonight, it's going to be very difficult. Scoring-wise I need to be much better tomorrow, because otherwise I'll be 9-1 or 8-2 down.
"But I'm looking forward to it. I'll be ready tomorrow. I'll get a good night's sleep and hopefully my first dart is a lot better tomorrow."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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