Gian van Veen fought his way into a semi‑final encounter with Gerwyn Price at the World Matchplay after a dramatic 16‑13 victory over James Wade in Blackpool. The match began slowly for both competitors, each struggling to find their rhythm in the opening half. The turning point arrived when Wade, trailing 11‑7, unleashed a streak of four consecutive legs that levelled the score and injected fresh energy into the quarter‑final. From that moment the quality of play rose sharply, with both players hitting high‑checkout finishes exceeding 100 points.
Van Veen, whose average for the night was a modest 93, managed to quiet the dissenting crowd by clinching the final two legs, thereby booking his first appearance in the last four of the tournament. Looking ahead, the world No.3 will need to raise his game against a in‑form Price, who posted a 102.78 average and delivered ten 180s in his 16‑12 win over Ross Smith in the other quarter‑final. Price had to recover from a 12‑8 lead that slipped away, then responded with four straight legs to secure his place in the semi‑final for the first time since 2022.
The other semi‑final will see defending champion Luke Littler take on Dirk van Duijvenbode, who also reached the last four for the first time at this event. Price’s journey to the semi‑final marks his fourth televised semi‑final of the season, following strong showings at the World Masters, the UK Open and the Premier League. In his match against Smith, Price began with three legs on the throw, highlighted by a 117 checkout in the second leg and a three‑leg burst from the fourth. Smith answered with a flawless 12‑dart finish, keeping the contest tight.
Smith managed to stay within striking distance, taking a 100 checkout to avoid falling 8‑5 behind, but missed a chance to level the scores in the next leg, allowing the Welshman to claim a third break and a three‑leg advantage. The two players continued to exchange breaks, with Price eventually edging ahead in the fourth session.
Smith then produced a 68 checkout followed by a remarkable 13‑dart finish, which brought the match back to parity. Price responded with his own 13‑dart finish, then hit a 121 checkout that included a bullseye, before sealing the win with a 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 slower in the early stages, with both players averaging around 90 in the first mini‑sessions.
Van Veen broke the deadlock by hitting a 160 checkout to go 9‑6 up at the third interval. Although he missed a few darts that could have extended his lead, he recovered quickly, moving to an 11‑7 advantage. Wade then sparked a comeback, taking out a 79 finish on the bullseye and winning the next leg. Wade continued his resurgence, following a 121 bullseye finish with a hold of throw for a fourth straight leg, bringing the match to 12‑12.
Van Veen answered with a 118 checkout, securing back‑to‑back legs and putting pressure on his opponent. Wade fought back with a 121 finish to break again, but Van Veen responded with a 75 checkout, narrowing the gap to a single leg.
He then closed out the match with a flawless 13‑dart finish, moving one win away from a potential rise to world No.2. Reflecting on his performance, Van Veen told 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 – 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 the historic Winter Gardens, with the semi‑finals scheduled as best‑of‑33 legs and the final set for Sunday as a best‑of‑35 showdown. Defending champion Luke Littler will aim to retain his title against Dirk van Duijvenbode, while Price prepares to meet Van Veen in the first semi‑final. Fans can catch 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 promises high‑stakes drama, top‑level scoring and the possibility of a new champion emerging from this week’s intense competition.