Gian van Veen swept past Chris Dobey 6-2 at AFAS Live to reach the second round of the World Series of Darts Finals, a win he described as strange but ultimately confidence-boosting. "I started really well with a 12-darter in the first leg," Van Veen told Viaplay. "After that my scoring was hard to find. A lot of darts dropped under the treble, but Chris had that too. That gives you confidence. Even if you don't feel great, you see your opponent is struggling as well."
The Dutchman also rued some missed opportunities on the doubles. "You make it harder on yourself by missing some doubles. Especially that D8, which slipped and went into D16. But in the end it was a solid win and fairly comfortable."
Talk turned to his recovery from surgery earlier this year. Physically, Van Veen feels no lingering issues, but mentally the period took its toll. "Physically, definitely not. Maybe still a little bit mentally," he said. "I had that operation and I think I just started back too soon. I've said that before. I went to Berlin too early for that Premier League night. That dented my confidence. It took me months to recover from that."
Now, Van Veen sees clear signs of progress. "Physically I feel great. I feel good in myself and lately it's been going a lot better. I'm throwing well again." Even on a night when he didn't feel at his best, his numbers held up. "Even tonight I felt it wasn't fantastic. Then you look left at the screen and you're still averaging 96 or 97. A few months ago that would have been 88 or 89."
That improvement may be the biggest gain. "Some darts drifted too far on the scoring, but it gives me confidence that you still win comfortably with a decent performance. Honestly, four or five months ago I would have lost this match. For me that's a big step forward. I'm really happy with that."
Playing at home in the Netherlands brings both benefits and pressure. "Both," Van Veen admitted. "I'm never outstanding in the Netherlands. I think I always put too much pressure on it, especially with the Premier League in Ahoy." This time he tried a different approach, playing the final match of the night after seeing Michael van Gerwen lose earlier. "When Michael lost, I thought: oh, the crowd might not be that positive. So I really tried to focus on the match."
That caution proved unnecessary. "Once the crowd starts chanting your name, that really gives you an extra lift."
