“Now I feel like I belong here”: Gian van Veen filled with confidence after victory over world No.1 Luke Humphries

Gian Van Veen defeated world no.1 Luke Humphries in the first round of the World Matchplay on Friday night.

“To beat the world number one meant the world to me, but it’s only one match”

After losing in the first round at Blackpool last year in a thrilling final leg shootout to Rob Cross, Van Veen felt he had had “put that right now”, after Friday’s victory.

“Now I feel like I belong here which makes me feel like I’ve grown as a person and as a player”, whereas “Last year I felt a little bit out of place in these major tournaments”

Looking back at last years disappointment, Gian felt like he had a point to prove after missing five match darts against Rob Cross.

This year the 23-year-old has been on fine form picking up his first PDC Pro Tour title, winning Players Championship 6 alongside reaching the final of the German Grand Prix, where he fell short to Michael Van Gerwen. He will be looking to emulate that victory back in March with another statement win over World Cup teammate Danny Noppert, who he faces in the second round.

“Before the tournament, I think my biggest win was beating Michael at the European Championship”

“I think this is even bigger. To win here at the iconic Winter Gardens, especially after the agony of last year meant so much to me.”

This win saw Gian move into the world’s top 20 for the first time in his career, a milestone that has come from is continued progression throughout the last 12 months.

The victory over Luke Humpries saw Van Veen average 98.45, a standard that would see him progress through most games throughout the tournament. Hitting an impressive eight 180s in the match showed the Dutchman’s ability to score alongside his efficient ability to hit the double.

Speaking on his opponent, “of course he was gutted because he was the reigning champion, but he still wished me all the best. He’s a great guy and he is a true world number one”

“Luke is such a great champion. He said to me ‘You really deserved this win, and I hope you go on a great run this tournament.”

Humphries who won the tournament last year after beating Michael Van Gerwen, will be disappointed with the result and will be looking ahead to the next time he can get on stage.

With a lot of talk surrounding this emphatic win and the draw being blown wide open, Van Veen admitted “I just want to play my own game. I want to perform well, show everyone what I’m capable of, and we will see where it takes me.”

Looking ahead to Tuesday’s game, “The Winter Gardens is an iconic venue, it’s an amazing atmosphere there and I cannot wait to get back on stage Tuesday.”

The Dutch duo will be looking to stop one another’s run on the big stage with Van Veen looking to win his fourth game over Noppert since their first meeting on tour back in August 2022, a game that saw Noppert 6-4 victorious.