Littler wins in Poland despite Van Veen nine-darter
#Luke Littler#Poland Darts Open#Gian van Veen#Nine-dart finish#European Tour#Darts championship#Premier League
📌 Key Takeaways
Luke Littler won the inaugural Poland Darts Open despite Gian van Veen's nine-dart finish
Van Veen's historic nine-dart leg wasn't enough as Littler dominated with seven 180s and a 108+ average
This was Littler's fifth European Tour title and second victory over Van Veen in a final
Littler needed this win after struggling in the early Premier League season
📖 Full Retelling
World darts champion Luke Littler secured the inaugural Poland Darts Open title in Warsaw on February 22, 2026, despite a remarkable nine-dart finish from Dutch opponent Gian van Veen in the final, with the Briton claiming the £35,000 first prize after overcoming a slow start to dominate 8-4. Despite Van Veen's historic nine-dart leg in the fifth set, which momentarily gave him a 3-2 lead, Littler responded with exceptional form, hitting seven 180s and maintaining an average just over 108 to secure victory. The match marked the second consecutive final loss for Van Veen against Littler, following their World Championship final encounter earlier in the season. Littler's path to the final included victories over Ross Smith, Josh Rock, and Chris Dobey, while Van Veen defeated Nathan Aspinall, Wessel Nijman, and world number two Luke Humphries. After his triumph, Littler expressed satisfaction with his performance, noting that he needed this victory after not feeling his best in the initial weeks of the Premier League, stating 'It's been a very good weekend for myself' and that he 'definitely needed this one' after struggling in the early Premier League season.
Pieter Gerard "Gian" van Veen (Dutch: [ˈɣiɑɱ vɑɱ ˈveːn]; born 23 April 2002) is a Dutch professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is ranked world number three. He won the European Championship in 2025. He is also the reigning back-to-back World Y...
The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons, and legally the PGA European Tour or the European Tour Group, is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged 50 or older) and the develo...
Luke Littler (born 21 January 2007) is an English professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is ranked world No. 1. Nicknamed "the Nuke", Littler has won two PDC World Championships, in 2025 and 2026, and remains the youngest world champion in dar...
Littler wins in Poland despite Van Veen nine-darter By Paul Battison BBC Sport Journalist Published 22 February 2026 35 Comments Luke Littler won the Poland Darts Open title despite a nine-dart finish in the final from Gian van Veen. World champion Littler was in devastating form as he hit seven 180s on his way to an 8-4 victory and the £35,000 first prize. Van Veen, who also lost to Littler in the final of the World Championship, hit his first ever televised nine-darter but it was in vain as the Briton averaged just over 108 to overcome the Dutchman. Victory sees Littler become the inaugural champion at the tournament which is the first European Tour event to be held in Poland. "It's been a very good weekend for myself," said Littler, who won his fifth European Tour title. "I felt really good throughout the tournament. In the first three weeks of the Premier League I've not felt the best, so I definitely needed this one. "I wanted to come here and win the title and that's what I've done. Most importantly it was about playing well, getting that average up and hitting my doubles." Littler beat Ross Smith, Josh Rock and Chris Dobey on Sunday to make the final, while Van Veen got past Nathan Aspinall, Wessel Nijman and world number two Luke Humphries. Van Veen took control of the match to go 3-2 up in the fifth leg when two 180s were followed up by a 141 finish in a perfect nine-dart leg. The moment sparked Littler into life, however, who won the next four legs to take a 6-3 lead. Van Veen showed some resistance to claw a leg back, but Littler regained his composure to win the next two legs in just 28 darts to seal an 8-4 victory. The European Tour will continue with the European Darts Trophy on 13 March as Aspinall bids to retain his crown in Gottingen. Poland Darts Open results Final Luke Littler 8-4 Gian van Veen Semi-finals Luke Littler 7-3 Chris Dobey Gian van Veen 7-5 Luke Humphries Quarter-Finals Luke Littler 6-1 Josh Rock Chris Dobey 6-2 Michael Smith Luke Hump...
