"Just play your own best game. Don't try to overplay yourself" – Van der Voort offers advice for Dutch duo ahead of World Matchplay semi-finalists
PDCSaturday, 25 July 2026 at 17:25
Gian van Veen is set for one of the biggest matches of his career. The Dutchman has reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay for the first time and will face former world champion Gerwyn Price. On paper, it looks a daunting task, but on the Darts Draait Door podcast there is striking confidence in the world number three’s chances. That belief is not based on his averages, but on something that separates true elite players: winning even when the game isn’t flowing.
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After his win over James Wade, Van Veen himself joined the podcast and reflected on a match that not only secured him a place in the last four, but also delivered payback for the painful defeat against the same opponent a year earlier.
Last year, Van Veen fell in the quarterfinals after a 16-13 loss to Wade. This time he edged it by exactly the same scoreline. Yet that previous meeting barely featured during the match, he says. "No, not at all. You heard about it before the match. But once you're playing, you're not thinking about it anymore. You're just focused on winning this match, regardless of what happened 12 months ago."
According to former pro Vincent van der Voort, that is exactly how elite sport works. "During a match you're only thinking about winning. He had more than enough on his plate dealing with himself."
‘Scoring was just so poor’
The Dutchman did not spare himself afterwards. He was especially disappointed with his scoring phase. "You could definitely say that. It was really difficult. My scoring was just so poor. Maybe I shouldn't say it like that, but that's how it felt."
Yet he regularly glanced at the scoreboard during the match and noticed something striking. "I was still leading almost the whole time. That gave me a lot of confidence. I knew I wasn't playing well, but I was still ahead throughout."
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For Van Veen, that was proof that he can control matches even on off days. "Once it started flowing a little, I knew I could finish the match off. In the end, that's exactly what happened."
Van der Voort believes this is precisely what separates the absolute world elite from the rest. "The truly great players always find a way to win. Gian has done that for several matches now. You really have to say that's incredibly impressive."
Whistling added extra fire
During the quarterfinal, Van Veen also had to deal with a small group of spectators making themselves heard. "Yeah, there were a few people whistling."
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Normally he barely notices it, but because he wasn’t in rhythm, it got to him this time. "When you're feeling great and playing well, you don't even notice it. But today that wasn't really the case, so you do pick up on it."
When he then produced a fine checkout, he couldn’t resist reacting. "When you hit a nice finish like that, you look over at them once. Afterwards you think maybe I shouldn't have done it. But today it gave me that extra fire inside that I probably needed."
Not in top form, yet three wins
The fact that Van Veen is now in the semi-finals surprises him somewhat too. He did not arrive in Blackpool in peak form. "It has been difficult, definitely."
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In the first round he faced Krzysztof Ratajski straight away, to whom he had recently lost on the Euro Tour. "I knew the first round against Ratajski was going to be tough. I'd lost to him the previous weekend—or actually two weeks ago now."
That win in particular gave him the feeling something was possible. "Once you win that one, you realise you're in a good position in the tournament."
Since then, his confidence has only grown. "Against Nijman I played pretty well. Today wasn't great again, but I still won. That gives you so much more confidence."
According to Van Veen, averages ultimately don’t tell the whole story. "Of course you want to average over 100. But if you play a poor match and still win, that gives you so much more confidence."
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Win over Nijman brought extra satisfaction
The win over Wessel Nijman may have meant even more to Van Veen than the victory over Wade. Not only because he eliminated a compatriot, but also because he felt beforehand that almost everyone saw Nijman as the favourite. "I think I did three or four interviews before that match, and every single one was about how fantastic Wessel has been lately."
That proved motivating. "Even though I'm world No. 3 now, I felt like people had already written me off before that match."
Asked whether that made him extra sharp, he answered without hesitation. “One hundred percent.” Afterwards the win felt all the sweeter. "When you win it, it feels extra good. You think, 'See? It's still there. Somewhere, hidden away deep down.' It gave me so much satisfaction to win a match like that again."
According to Van Veen, Nijman also proved a gracious loser afterwards. "He congratulated me and said I deserved the win, and that I could thank that 148 finish. The fact he congratulated me immediately after the match was really classy. Full credit to him."
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Van der Voort sees chances against Price: ‘He isn’t flawless either’
After three wins without truly hitting his peak, Van Veen now faces the toughest test of the tournament. Gerwyn Price is the favourite, although Vincent van der Voort still sees enough openings for an upset.
Van Veen knows he must step it up. "One hundred per cent. I know my first dart hasn't really been right throughout the tournament. But I also know that if it clicks tomorrow, then I can stay with him—and even get ahead."
The Dutchman expects the match against Price to be completely different from his quarterfinal against James Wade. "Against Wade it's always difficult because you know the pace is different. It'll be completely different against Price. I've got every confidence that I'll play a lot better tomorrow."
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Gian van Veen is in a first World Matchplay semi-final
His conclusion is clear. "I know my scoring has to improve, but I'm confident that it will tomorrow. Then we'll see what happens." Van der Voort agrees. He felt there was clear improvement at the end of the match against Wade. "If he can keep the rhythm he found over the last five, six or seven legs, I think his scoring will be absolutely fine."
The former pro mainly spotted one pattern when Van Veen struggled to score. "Whenever his scoring isn't going well, he slows down instead of speeding up slightly and throwing instinctively."
He expects the tempo to lift naturally against Price. "If he finds that quicker rhythm, which will probably happen against Price, then I genuinely think he's got a good chance."
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Head-to-head numbers are clear, but don’t tell the whole story according to Van der Voort
On paper, little favors Van Veen. Price leads the head-to-head 13-3 and also won all four finals the pair have contested. Even so, Van der Voort believes such stats have limited value right before a semifinal. "Those numbers aren't great. But what can you really do with them?"
He feels Price will certainly draw confidence from that run, while Van Veen simply needs to reset. “For Gian it will just be 0-0 again.”
The former UK Open finalist does see Price as the favourite. "I think Price has been the better player in the tournament so far." That doesn’t mean Van Veen is without a chance. "Of course he's got a chance against Price because Price isn't flawless either."
According to Van der Voort, the key lies in choosing the right moments. "He'll need to pick the right moments to strike, his finishing has to be sharp, and he'll need to score a bit better."
The latter still worries him. "The chances aren't huge that after three matches of struggling to score, it'll suddenly all click." He does see a major positive, though. "Those last few legs were really good. If he can find that rhythm earlier, he'll be a very difficult opponent for Van Veen."
Winning without the highest average is a quality too
Strikingly, Van Veen posted a lower average than his opponent in all three matches. Last year it was often the other way around, yet he still went out early. Van der Voort sees this as precisely the development Van Veen has made over the past twelve months. "He says himself that he's learned a great deal from this."
He believes this is exactly what defines the absolute elite. "A true champion knows that even when he's playing worse than his opponent, he still has to find a way to win. That's what makes you one of the greats."
Advice for Dirk: don’t try to copy Luke Littler
In the second semifinal, Dirk van Duijvenbode faces defending champion Luke Littler. Van der Voort also sees a clear game plan there. The main advice is not to focus too much on the Englishman. “Don’t go into that match thinking everything has to be perfect.”
He says that’s exactly the trap many players fall into when they face Littler. "Just play your own best game. Don't try to overplay yourself."
Van der Voort knows Littler puts enormous pressure on his opponents, but stresses that Van Duijvenbode must stick to his own game. "If you go into the match thinking you can't afford to miss anything, every dart becomes incredibly pressurised. That's impossible to sustain."
That doesn’t mean Van Duijvenbode has no chance. "Dirk averages around 101 as well. If he improves by a couple of points and Littler drops by three, suddenly it's a very close match."
The reality remains that the reigning world champion is almost unbeatable at his best. "If he averages 110 again, it'll be incredibly difficult to beat him. Over such a long format it's almost impossible." Van Duijvenbode will therefore hope for a rare off day from Littler. "You need to hope Littler is around the 103 mark."
Dirk van Duijvenbode has his work cut out against the world number one Luke Littler
Dream scenario: two Dutchmen in the final
Despite the tough draw, the podcast hosts dare to dream of an all-Dutch final. "That would be fantastic." Van der Voort believes Van Veen has the better shot. "Van Veen is obviously closer than Dirk."
There is also a special milestone at stake for Van Veen. If he beats Price, he climbs to second in the world rankings. Van der Voort doesn’t think the Dutchman will dwell on that. "He also realises he's playing a World Matchplay semi-final. There are no guarantees you'll ever get another opportunity like this. These are chances you have to take."
For him, only one thing matters right now. "Just try to get the best possible result. You can worry about the rankings afterwards."
Finally, there was a prediction. Although Van der Voort expects Luke Littler to reach the final, he surprisingly picks Gian van Veen as the second finalist. "If you really want me to be positive... then I'm going with Littler and Van Veen."
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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