Gian van Veen knows exactly what is waiting for him in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Saudi Arabia Darts Masters in Riyadh.
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After closing out a composed 6-2 win over Motomu Sakai, the World Youth Champion now faces Luke Littler in the quarter finals, a direct rematch of their recent 2026 PDC World Darts Championship final earlier this month.
“It’s going to be very tough tomorrow,” Van Veen said in his post-match interview with Online Darts afterwards. “Especially with the draw I’ve got tomorrow, with Littler and then maybe Price or Humphries. It’s going to be very tough, but I know that with that route as well, if I lift the title, I really deserve it.”
It is not just another match. It is the first chance since Ally Pally for Van Veen to measure himself again against the man who denied him the biggest prize of all.
Van Veen controls Sakai to book Littler rematch
Van Veen’s route to that showdown was built with control rather than fireworks.
He held throw in the opening leg against Motomu Sakai, then broke on double 19 for a 2-0 lead. A key last dart on double 18 stretched that to 3-0, even after Sakai had applied pressure with a smart setup.
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Sakai finally got on the board in leg four on double 18 and then briefly threatened a fightback by breaking Van Veen with a 68 checkout on double 16 to close the gap to 3-2.
Van Veen responded immediately. He broke straight back with a 47 finish in two darts, restored his two-leg cushion, and then found a last dart double 14 to move one away at 5-2. Another double 18 sealed the match and confirmed his place in the last eight.
After watching most of the PDC stars safely navigate the opening round before him, Van Veen admitted there was extra pressure in being last on stage.
“I’m satisfied,” he said. “It felt a bit nervy at the start. You see all the other players winning, well, except one, but you see a lot of the big names win, so there’s a bit of extra pressure being on last. You want to join them on finals day, and I’ve done that. Scoring was good, a bit itchy on the doubles here and there, but I’m happy.”
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New stage, new experiences
The Saudi Arabia Darts Masters is a first for everyone involved, and Van Veen said adapting has been part of the challenge.
“It’s very different,” he said. “The atmosphere, it felt a bit cold on stage as well, but it’s part of it. It’s a new experience for me today. There are going to be many more new experiences this year, so it’s good to get this one out of the way.”
He also spoke about what it meant to be part of the first darts event in the Kingdom. “It’s something to be proud of,” he said. “A lot of other sports have come to Saudi Arabia, and now darts as well. To be one of the eight PDC faces to represent our sport here is fantastic. And who knows, maybe we’re going to be back in the next couple of years.”
Off the stage, the change in surroundings has been just as noticeable. “It’s very different,” Van Veen said. “Just walking around the city, you feel a different vibe, even compared to Bahrain, which isn’t really that far from here. It’s a new experience and I’m enjoying it. Probably tomorrow I’m going to wander around the city and soak up some more of it.”
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From breakthrough year to whirlwind life
The speed of Van Veen’s rise is something he is still trying to process. “Yeah, of course,” he said when asked if he would have believed this a year ago. “I knew last year what I was capable of. I had a decent 2024, but 2025 was really my breakthrough year. I would never have expected to be here, to be top four in the world, to play in the Premier League. I keep pinching myself every day.”
That sense of disbelief is matched by how quickly his life has changed. “A little bit,” he said when asked if he is getting used to it. “I’m getting there, I think. The World Championship was very hectic, then the World Series in Bahrain, now Saudi. It’s fantastic. I’m enjoying every minute of it and hopefully it’s going to continue for many more years.”
Now, though, the focus narrows again.
Standing between Gian van Veen and another major moment is Luke Littler. Ally Pally still hangs in the air, but Riyadh now offers the first chance to answer it. Different stage, different setting, same opponent and a quarter-final that will say a lot about how far his whirlwind start to 2026 can really go.
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Kieran WoodDarts Journalist
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026