Darts World Cup: Gian van Veen dethrones van Gerwen after 13 years – and requires Luke Littler | EUROtoday

Was it one other shock? Maybe the readability. Gian van Veen stormed into the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship with a 5-1 win over Luke Humphries. The Dutchman performed a median of 111 within the final three units alone and ended up with 105.41 factors and a doubles fee of 55 %.

Impressive numbers after a formidable efficiency towards the quantity two seed. “My grin will not disappear in the next 24 hours,” stated van Veen, who will meet his idol Gary Anderson on Friday night in solely the third main semi-final of his profession: “This victory is probably bigger than my title at the European Darts Championships.”

Above all, it has a big effect. With his victory, van Veen has secured 200,000 kilos in prize cash, has at present moved as much as third place on this planet rankings and thus ends the period of Michael van Gerwen, who was primary within the Netherlands for 13 years.

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“I’m so proud. He was already number one when I started. My dream was always to be second best. Now I’m number one, but for us Dutch, Michael van Gerwen will always remain number one,” stated the 23-year-old from Poederoijen.

Van Veen additionally checks the 170

Van Veen had already received all 4 duels with the 2024 world champion in 2025. And within the new 12 months, too, the match was solely on equal footing firstly. “He was significantly better in scoring in the first three sets, but missed a few doubles,” summarized the reigning junior world champion.

Humphries missed 167 within the fifth leg to win set one. So there was no parallel to the opposite Luke. Littler had beforehand made it 1-0 towards Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski with a 170 in his quarterfinal.

After the 2-1 win, van Veen was unstoppable. Humphries checked 158 factors once more within the fourth spherical to make it 1:2 after legs, in any other case the Dutchman offered the highlights. Three excessive finishes, together with a 170, rounded off the excellent impression.

This makes him the one one who was capable of sustain with high favourite Littler all through the complete event and is now thought of the favourite for the ultimate. Littler himself had already predicted van Veen because the winner earlier than the final quarter-final of the event. The 18-year-old is anticipating the Netherlands’ new primary within the ultimate on Saturday night. Before that, each need to win their semi-finals on Friday from 8:45 p.m. towards Ryan Searle and Anderson.

If Lutz Wöckener Not precisely making an attempt out any sport on his personal, he writes about darts and sports activities politics, however generally additionally about offbeat issues like soccer.

Darts World Cup 2026, outcomes

Quarterfinals:

• Ryan Searle (ENG/20) – Jonny Clayton (WAL/5) 5:2 (3:1, 3:0, 3:1, 1:3, 3:2, 1:3, 3:0)
• Gary Anderson (SCO/14) – Justin Hood (ENG) 5:2 (3:0, 1:3, 3:0, 2:3, 3:0, 3:1, 3:0)
• Luke Littler (ENG/1) – Krzysztof Ratajski (POL) 5:0 (3:2, 3:0, 3:0, 3:2, 3:1)
• Luke Humphries (ENG/2) – Gian van Veen (NED/10) 1:5 (2:3, 3:1, 2:3, 1:3, 2:3, 1:3)

Semifinals:

• Luke Littler (ENG/1) – Ryan Searle (ENG/20)
• Gian van Veen (NED/10) – Gary Anderson (SCO/14)