"I walked off the stage thinking, 'I'm playing terribly, but I'm 9-6 in front'" - Gian van Veen digs deep to secure crucial but 'frustrating' win over Wade

While not at his best, Gian van Veen has got his knack for winning darts contests back following his World Matchplay run. He confirmed a spot in the semi-finals with a 16-13 win over James Wade in a tie that both players would not reach their A-game at the Winter Gardens.

Averaging four points less than his opponent, it was the eye-catching finishing that van Veen produced on a regular basis throughout the tie that helped him charge over the finishing line to better his Matchplay result from last year. 55% of his doubles found the intended target as he continues to search for answers in his scoring game.

Speaking to Viaplay afterwards, he was asked how he found the match. "Good question. I'm really curious how you saw it as well," he began.

"For the first 10 or 15 legs, I was so frustrated with myself. My scoring was so poor, or at least it felt that way. But I was still ahead. I kept leading. My finishing was okay, and I needed it because James wasn't playing well either.

After 15 legs I was 9-6 up. I walked off the stage thinking, 'I'm playing terribly, but I'm 9-6 in front.' So I couldn't really complain. After about the 20th leg, following the fourth break, my scoring improved a lot. It had to, because James also stepped his game up. It was just such a strange match."

A key moment in the match swung the way of van Veen who, out of nowhere, took out a brilliant 160 checkout to go 9-6 ahead. Both players were visibly frustrated with their performances up to that point, but the magic from van Veen boosted his chances of reaching the semi-final, stunning himself in the process.

"That felt great. It came completely out of nowhere," he said. "I hit it and looked at my manager and my friends in the crowd as if to say, "Where did that come from?" Because my scoring was awful. I think up to that point I'd only hit my first dart in the treble bed maybe twice. Everything else was below it. Then suddenly you take out 160 and think, "How has that happened?" It was a great moment."

It was not the first time something similar like that occurred. "To be honest, it's been happening all tournament, and even for the last few months. My first dart keeps dropping below the treble. I don't know why, but it's happening too often. That's definitely something I'll have to look at after the tournament. But I'm still in it. I'm in the semi-finals."

Van Veen is one win away from becoming the world number two, but it does not feel like that when you watch him play. These last few months have not been very satisfactory for the Dutchman. Early exits on the ProTour and European Tour have become more of a theme with the failure of making it into the Premier League Darts finals night.

"It's really difficult because it starts affecting your thoughts," he acknowledged. "You know that if James suddenly starts throwing 12-darters, you're in trouble. That's how it felt. Normally, in every match, I feel like I can produce an 11, 12 or 13-dart leg whenever I need it. Today I didn't have that feeling."

Not a good feeling. 'The Giant' was doing that for fun at the end of 2025, clinching the European Championship while reaching the final of the PDC World Darts Championship with some impressive performances. Now suddenly doubting his game, he felt relieved that the 2007 champion did not showcase his best darts that night.

"I genuinely thought that if James played his best game, I'd lose," he noted. "Fortunately, he didn't, so I got away with it. Towards the end my scoring improved, and my finishing kept me alive. I wasn't just hanging on because I was leading, but my finishing allowed me to stay in control. Before you know it, you've got the match in your hands."

Wade, normally one for taking crucial chances, failed to at one stage. From 11-9 down, 'The Machine' dragged himself level at 11-11 before missing the 121. Van Veen stayed in character and took out 67 to regain the lead.

He was not short of confidence after that. "Of course it did. I knew my finishing was good. My scoring wasn't great, but I knew I could finish my way through this match, and that's exactly what happened." The 24-year-old confirmed that Wade had converted that outshot twice, one before and one after the missed bull in the 23rd leg. "He's the new Jonny Clayton," he joked.

"But strangely enough, he missed it. I felt he missed a few more chances than you'd normally expect from James Wade. I'm very grateful for the opportunities he gave me. Breaking him for 14-12 with that 118 checkout was a lovely moment. Towards the end I realised the crowd were behind him. They were booing me, and I probably shouldn't have reacted to that."

On the topic of that 118 outshot, it was met by a barrage of whistling and jeers, backing the Englishman on stage over van Veen. He blocked it out and gave a reaction towards the crowd. While it felt good at the time, he feels regret in doing that.

"I probably shouldn't have done it. But at that moment it felt good. Looking back you can say it wasn't the smartest thing, but I enjoyed it because they were booing me. It felt satisfying to hit that finish."

It continued throughout as van Veen remained clinical on the outer ring. "The next one was the 64 checkout — treble seven, 17, tops. They were whistling then as well, and I took that one out too. Those finishes are what got me through. Even if your scoring isn't good enough, those checkouts are the reason you're standing in the semi-finals. It was a real battle."

At the end of the day, averages and stats did not matter as van Veen was in the semi-final in Blackpool. "During my Sky Sports interview on stage I saw that James averaged 97 and I averaged 93," he stated. "That's now the third match in a row where my opponent has not averaged over 100, but I'm still through. To be honest, I couldn't care less about the averages. My finishing was good enough, and I'm through to the semi-finals."

Van Veen is starting to get used to this scenery in a major tournament. His semi-final will be against the dangerous Gerwyn Price who, similarly, has not played his best stuff at the Gardens enroute to this stage. It is a first last four appearance in his third Matchplay campaign for van Veen, and a fourth ranking major semi-final appearance.

"Lovely. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow," he commented, looking ahead. "Tomorrow my scoring has to be much better. I know that. That's what we're aiming for. If I can match Gerwyn Price in the scoring phase, then I believe I can beat him on the doubles. That's the goal tomorrow.

"My scoring definitely needs to improve, but even when you're not playing your best, winning like this gives you a huge amount of confidence. As Bobby George always used to say: "Scoring is for show, doubles are for dough."