"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
PDC
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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."
ADVERTISEMENT
Read also
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."
ADVERTISEMENT
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."
ADVERTISEMENT
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."
Read also
ADVERTISEMENT
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."
ADVERTISEMENT
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."
ADVERTISEMENT
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."
Read also
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- 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