Gian van Veen bowed out in the quarterfinals on Night Two of the Premier League Darts at a roaring Lotto Arena in Antwerp, losing a nail-biting 6-5 clash to Gerwyn Price. The Dutchman described the match as having "two completely different halves," starting strongly with flawless doubling before momentum swung away from him.
Van Veen told Viaplay that in the first half, he was "100% on the doubles" despite scoring that "wasn't brilliant, but it was fine." However, he then missed two darts at 52, kept missing opportunities, and ultimately failed to convert a match dart at the bull, allowing Price back into the contest. He refused to pin the defeat on that single dart, stating matter-of-factly, "You can't judge yourself on one dart at the bull," and instead pointed to his overall scoring, saying, "My scoring just wasn't great today."
The setting in Antwerp added a unique dynamic, with Van Veen acknowledging the crowd's partizan support for Price. He said, "I'd imagined a lot about playing here in Antwerp. It's obviously a beautiful venue," but noted, "I think everyone at home could hear that the crowd was on his side." Staying sportsmanlike, he added, "That's fine — that's allowed. You just maybe don't expect it. I definitely didn't lose because of that. But maybe it makes it a slightly different experience than I'd hoped for."
Putting the defeat into perspective, Van Veen emphasized the grueling nature of the Premier League campaign, calling it "a marathon" and "a battle of endurance." He acknowledged, "One week everything goes your way, the next week it doesn't. That's part of it. You just take it on the chin and move on to next week." After beating Van Veen, Price went on to win Night Two as well.
