Gian van Veen’s run at the World Matchplay ended with a 17-10 semifinal defeat to Gerwyn Price in Blackpool, but the Dutchman still left the zomer-WK with a clear milestone behind him. It was the first time he had reached the last four in the event, and although the result was decisive, Van Veen said he was proud to have made it that far despite not playing his best darts this week.
Price, the 2022 finalist in the tournament, made the stronger start and at one stage led 6-1 before Van Veen fought back into the contest. The match then tightened, with Van Veen later acknowledging that he had stayed in touch until 11-9, before Price pulled away to 12-9, 13-9 and then beyond, leaving the Dutchman with too much ground to recover.
Van Veen: “It is a shame”
Van Veen was open about the way the game swung against him. He said he began scoring better than in his previous matches, but then started missing doubles, before the balance flipped and his finishing improved as his scoring dropped away.
“I started scoring better than in my previous matches. And suddenly you miss doubles. You don’t know where that comes from. After that my finishing got much better, and my scoring much less,” he said.
That inconsistency was the story of his semifinal. Van Veen added that he felt there was not much more left in the tournament for him, even as he tried to stay close to Price for as long as possible. “There was simply no more in this tournament and I felt that during the match. I tried to keep up as much as possible and that went well too, until the fourth break. Then he ran away from me and I had little more to say,” he said.
A quarter of an hour with the new set
One of the more interesting details from before the semifinal was Van Veen’s equipment decision. He explained that he had only thrown with his new darts for about a quarter of an hour before deciding to stick with the old set for the match.
“I threw for a quarter of an hour with the new ones and would then see what it would become. It became the old set,” he said. It was a small but revealing detail, because it showed he preferred familiarity in a major match where margins were already tight.
Van Veen was also frank about the bigger picture. “You know, I did not throw great this tournament,” he said. “Nevertheless, I am proud that I reached the semifinal.” He also admitted that Price’s performance was strong enough to punish any dip in level: “Price was good, not great. If I had really been good this tournament I could have beaten him. But I was not this week.”
What the defeat means
The loss closes Van Veen’s World Matchplay campaign, but it does not take away from the significance of what he achieved in Blackpool. He had already beaten James Wade 16-13 in the quarterfinal, a result that showed he could handle pressure in a major knockout setting.
For Dutch darts, it was also another reminder of the strength at the top end of the game. Earlier in the tournament, Michael van Gerwen lost to Dirk van Duijvenbode in the second round, underlining how demanding this event can be even before the business end of the draw. Van Veen’s defeat to Price may have ended his run, but reaching the semifinal for the first time is still a clear step forward.
He said the difference between scoring and finishing has been a recurring issue, and that is likely to remain the main takeaway for him after Blackpool. For now, though, the broader message is simple: Van Veen did not win the semifinal, but he did leave the World Matchplay with a major result, valuable experience and a place in the last four of a tournament that can define a player’s season.
