Gian van Veen fought his way into a semi‑final clash with Gerwyn Price at the World Matchplay after edging out James Wade 16‑13 in a dramatic quarter‑final at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The match began slowly for both competitors, each struggling to find their rhythm in the opening exchanges. However, the intensity surged when Wade, trailing 11‑7, launched a remarkable run of four consecutive legs to level the score and inject fresh life into the contest.
From that point onward the quality of play rose sharply. Both men began to hit high‑scoring visits, regularly posting checkouts that exceeded 100 points.
Van Veen, whose overall average for the match was a modest 93, managed to silence the occasional boos from the crowd by clinching the final two legs, thereby sealing his first ever appearance in the last four of this prestigious tournament. Looking ahead, the world number three will need to raise his game even further to stand a chance against Price, who posted a superb 102.78 average in his own quarter‑final. Price also recorded ten maximums as he dispatched Ross Smith 16‑12, recovering from a 12‑8 deficit by stringing together four straight legs to reach his first World Matchplay semi‑final since 2022. The other semi‑final on Saturday will see defending champion Luke Littler take on Dirk van Duijvenbode, who also made his debut in the event’s last‑four stage.
Price’s run to the semi‑final marks his fourth televised semi‑final of the current season, following strong performances at the World Masters, the UK Open and the Premier League. In his match against Smith, Price started brightly, taking the first three legs with the throw. He then hit a 117 checkout to hold his throw in the second leg and followed that with a three‑leg streak from the fourth leg onward. Smith responded with a spectacular 12‑dart finish, but Price’s momentum proved too much.
Smith tried to stay in the contest, taking a 100 checkout to avoid falling 8‑5 behind, and later missed a chance to level the score. The Welshman managed to break back for a three‑leg advantage, but Price continued to trade breaks of throw, eventually edging ahead with a fourth consecutive session win. Smith fought back, hitting a 68 checkout and then a 13‑dart finish during a four‑leg surge that brought the match back to parity.
Price answered with another 13‑dart finish and a 121 checkout, followed by a 91 double‑double that gave him an 11‑dart break. He sealed the victory with a flawless 14‑dart finish.
After the match, Price told Sky Sports, "Ross played a decent game as well, so it’s nice to perform well when your opponent is also playing well. It gives you confidence going into the next round. When he got back to 12‑12 I thought, ‘here we go again’, but I rode off four legs on the bounce. The 91 double‑double got the blood boiling.
I’m thankful I played pretty decent tonight." Van Veen’s quarter‑final against Wade was a slower‑moving affair in the early stages, with both players averaging around 90 during the first mini‑sessions. Van Veen broke the deadlock by hitting a 160 checkout to go 9‑6 up at the third interval. He missed a few darts that could have extended his lead, but recovered in the next two legs to push the score to 11‑7.
Wade then sparked a comeback, taking out a 79 finish on the bullseye and winning the subsequent leg. He followed that with a 121 bullseye checkout, holding his throw for a fourth straight leg and bringing the match to 12‑12. Van Veen responded with a 118 checkout, winning the next two legs in succession. Wade answered with a 121 finish to break back, but Van Veen then hit a 75 checkout to move within a single leg of the match.
He closed out the encounter with a brilliant 13‑dart finish, moving one win away from a potential rise to world number two. Reflecting on his performance, Van Veen admitted to Sky Sports, "It felt very poor!
My scoring was terrible. I was lucky James wasn’t scoring as well and my finishing got me through. A win is a win.
The 118 finish was crucial – the battle was tight but I’m glad I got the job done. Hopefully tomorrow I will be a lot better." The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay continues at the iconic Winter Gardens, with the two semi‑finals scheduled for Saturday. Both matches will be played over a best‑of‑33 format, determining who will advance to the Sunday final, which will be contested over a best‑of‑35 legs. Defending champion Luke Littler will seek to retain his title against Dirk van Duijvenbode, while Gerwyn Price prepares to meet Gian van Veen in the first semi‑final.
Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports, with coverage beginning at 7:30 pm on Sky Sports Action and around 9:00 pm on Sky Sports Main Event. The tournament also offers streaming options through NOW, allowing viewers to watch darts and other top‑level sports from any compatible device.