"Luke Littler and the rest better watch out": Gian van Veen shines with mammoth 120 average as statement sent to rivals

The Dutch Darts Championship saw Niels Zonneveld come of age with a first-ranking title on the European Tour, and it was the Dutch that well and truly shone over the weekend.

Stephen Bunting too forced his way suddenly into the European Championship Darts last minute in a herculean effort. But perhaps the main talking point is a certain Gian van Veen, who hit a mammoth 120 average despite not winning the title.

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com lauds Bunting and the rise of the Dutch stars in particular Zonneveld.

Once again the big names decided not to show in Maastricht, but from a Dutch point of view it was like a fever dream. Only one Englishman in the final four and the rest being Dutch showed the real special nature of this weekend for the top stars from Holland.

I was glad to see Niels Zonneveld claim a title; he has been far and away the best Dutchman outside of the leading few (Van Veen, Nijman, MVG) and has been knocking firmly on the door for most of the season.

His World Grand Prix run showed he can do it on the big stage, and I'm glad that, in reality, he managed to show that here and quite soon after too. A word for Stephen Bunting too, who showed the power of turning up and then managing to force his way into Dortmund, a lot on the line in the context of his season. But a stupendous effort, no less, to win through to the semi-finals, where he lost to Zonneveld. And of course that 120 average from Van Veen, special darts.

Mats Leering, editor for DartsNieuws.com, marvelled over Niels Zonneveld, but it was Gian van Veen who was given the statement piece.

A fantastic tournament from a Dutch perspective. Three Dutch players reached the semi-finals on home soil, and in the end, Niels Zonneveld managed to claim his very first PDC title.

And although you might not necessarily have expected it beforehand, I still wouldn't call it a massive surprise. Zonneveld has been in good form for months and also showed some promising signs at the World Grand Prix recently. He was once again outstanding this weekend. Despite already looking tired after the second semi-final, he still managed to beat Danny Noppert convincingly in the final.

I'm curious to see whether this is Zonneveld's ceiling. Personally, I think it probably is, and that reaching the 28th in the world rankings may be the best he can achieve, perhaps with a few more places gained at most. I find it hard to see him breaking into the top 16, and that has a lot to do with his playing style. But who knows? Maybe he'll surprise us over the coming months. Either way, I genuinely wish him all the best.

Following this defeat, Noppert will have to wait a little longer for his first European Tour title. This was already his fifth final, but once again, he came up short.

Finally, we obviously have to talk about Gian van Veen's incredible match against Sebastian Bialecki. A 120 average! A new European Tour record. And if he had produced just one better scoring visit in that final leg, he might even have broken the world record of 123.40. If this performance is anything to go by and reflects the form Van Veen will carry into the final few months of the season, then Luke Littler and the rest had better watch out!

Pieter Verbeek, editor for DartsNieuws.com, marvelled over Gian van Veen and a great Dutch weekend.

The Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht turned out to be a fantastic weekend of darts. The Dutch players were in excellent form, the standard of play was exceptionally high at times, and the crowd at the MECC was treated to several remarkable performances.

Gian van Veen stole the show with a sensational 120.24 average in his match against Sebastian Bialecki, setting a new record for the highest average ever recorded on the European Tour. Danny Noppert (113.42 in the quarter-finals) and Cristo Reyes (110.26 in the second round) also impressed with averages well above the 110 mark.

Another highlight was the fairytale run of Heine Uuldriks. The relatively unknown Dutchman came through the qualifying event before pulling off a stunning upset against Ricardo Pietreczko in the opening round. However, experienced campaigner Brendan Dolan proved just too strong in round two.

No fewer than four Dutch players reached the final session in Maastricht, with three progressing to the semi-finals. The stage appeared to be set for Van Veen to claim his long-awaited maiden European Tour title, but compatriot Noppert ended those hopes in the last four.

On the other side of the draw, Niels Zonneveld battled his way into the final with impressive victories over Mike De Decker, Krzysztof Ratajski, Gerwyn Price, Wessel Nijman and Stephen Bunting.

In the all-Dutch final, Zonneveld defeated Noppert 8-5 to claim his first PDC ranking title. What made his triumph even more remarkable? All six of his opponents had previously won a European Tour event and/or a major title. Zonneveld certainly didn't have an easy route to his historic victory.