Gian van Veen battled past James Wade with a 16-13 victory in Blackpool, earning a place in the semi‑final where he will meet world No.2 Gerwyn Price at the World Matchplay. The quarter‑final was a roller‑coaster from the start. Neither competitor looked dominant in the opening exchanges, but the match truly ignited when Wade, trailing 11-7, launched a remarkable run of four straight legs to level the scoreline. From that point on the quality of darts surged dramatically.

Both men began hitting high‑checkouts, with several finishes exceeding 100 points. Van Veen, whose overall average for the encounter was a modest 93, managed to silence the occasional boos from the crowd by clinching the final two legs, securing his first appearance in the last four of this prestigious tournament. Looking ahead, the Dutchman will need to raise his game against the in‑form Price, who posted a 102.78 average in his own quarter‑final and rattled off ten maximums while beating Ross Smith 16-12.

Price had to recover from a 12-8 deficit, stringing together four consecutive legs to force a decider and book his first World Matchplay semi‑final since 2022. The other semi‑final will see defending champion Luke Littler take on Dirk van Duijvenbode, who also advanced to the last four for the first time. Price’s run this season has been impressive; the Welshman has already reached the semi‑final stage of three televised events – the World Masters, the UK Open and the Premier League – before adding the World Matchplay to his résumé.

In his match against Smith, Price opened with three legs of his own, including a 117 finish to hold his throw in the second leg. He then produced a three‑leg streak, only to be answered by Smith’s spectacular 12‑dart leg. Smith tried to stay in the contest, hitting a 100 checkout to avoid falling 8-5 behind and later missing a chance to level the match.

Price, however, kept the pressure on, breaking Smith’s throw and later delivering a 13‑dart leg followed by a 121 checkout that featured a bullseye finish. The former world champion then sealed the win with a 14‑dart leg, showcasing his clinical finishing. After the match, Price told Sky Sports, "Ross played a decent game as well, so it’s nice to play well when someone else is playing well. It gives you a bit of confidence going into the next round.

For him to get back to 12‑12, I thought ‘here we go again’, but thankfully 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 slower‑moving in the early stages, with both players averaging around 90. Van Veen sparked his momentum with a massive 160 checkout to go 9-6 up at the third interval.

After a brief lapse that allowed Wade to claw back to 11-7, the Dutchman responded with a 79 finish on the bullseye, reigniting his lead. Wade fought back fiercely, taking the next leg and then hitting a 121 bullseye finish to hold his throw for a fourth consecutive leg, pushing the match to 12-12.

Van Veen then produced a crucial 118 checkout, followed by a 75 finish, bringing him within a single leg of victory. He capped the encounter with a flawless 13‑dart leg, moving one step closer to a potential world No.2 ranking. Reflecting on his performance, Van Veen admitted to Sky Sports, "It felt very poor!

My scoring was so terrible. I was lucky James wasn’t scoring as well and my finishing got me through. A win is a win. The 118 finish – I really needed it.

It was a tight battle but I’m glad I got the job done. Hopefully tomorrow I will be a lot better." The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay continues at Blackpool’s iconic Winter Gardens, with the semi‑finals scheduled as best‑of‑33 legs and the final set for Sunday as a best‑of‑35 showdown. Fans can catch every dart thrown 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.

For those without a traditional TV subscription, the tournament is also available to stream via NOW, offering a convenient way to follow the drama as it unfolds. The stakes are high, the atmosphere electric, and the question on everyone’s mind: who will lift the World Matchplay trophy this year?