LITTLER SET FOR VAN VEEN REMATCH IN FIVE DAYS
04/04/2026 By Aaron Nijjar
By Phil Lanning
LUKE LITTLER could be set for another feisty showdown with Gian van Veen in just FIVE DAYS.
The teen sensation and Dutchman had an angry clash during the Premier League night in Manchester last Thursday.
Littler, 19, was furious as Van Veen gave him a death stare after missing double 15 to win their quarter-final.
The Nuke flung his arms up in the air and did a cry baby gesture about the Dutch ace after he blew his own chance to win the match on double seven.
Van Veen eventually wrapped up the 6-5 win on double six and the pair exchanged a frosty handshake. Van Veen later said that Littler was “out of order” and he doesn’t think “things will be very friendly between us anytime soon”.
GVV has won both his matches with Littler in this year’s Premier League, four months after The Nuke thrashed him in the world final at the Ally Pally.
But if both players win their quarters in Brighton on Thursday night, they will go head-to-head in a mouthwatering semi-final.
Top oche pundit Wayne Mardle believes that Littler was caught out in front of his home fans.
He said: “Luke did something he shouldn’t have done and that was giving it this (celebration) but what he didn’t expect was Gian to see him. He got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He won’t be doing that again.”
Littler sits clear at the top of the Premier League table, two points clear of the Welsh duo Price and Jonny Clayton. Van Veen has now lost FOUR finals in his debut campaign means that he now sits fifth in the standings, just outside the crucial top four play-off spots.
Mardle believes that Littler shouldn’t have celebrated Van Veen’s initial miss for the match.
He added: “I know exactly what happened. Van Veen went inside on double 15 and Luke was happy about that so kind of gave it the Simon Whitlock well done.
“You shouldn’t do that and as he has done that, Gian has turned around thinking ‘why did you do that?’ I can lip read but I won’t repeat what Luke said as I don’t want to hand in my notice.
“You have got to say that Gian handled it better.”
Image by Taylor Lanning.
