Dutch darts player Gian van Veen has reached the semi-finals of the PDC World Championships in London after a convincing quarter-final victory over second seed Luke Humphries.

Van Veen is the last of 15 Dutch players who started out in the tournament at Alexandra Palace and pundits say he has emerged as one of the standout players.

The win against Humphries has secured his place in the last four and marked the most significant result of his career to date.

British media have responded positively to his breakthrough. The BBC described Van Veen as a rising star, while Sky Sports labelled him a brilliant talent.

Darts commentator Stuart Pyke said the English press had taken note of his consistency and composure, adding that Van Veen poses a serious challenge to the emerging English generation.

Van Veen’s run at the World Championship caps a year of steady progress. Following his victory over Humphries, he has moved ahead of Michael van Gerwen on the world rankings, ending Van Gerwen’s 13-year spell as the highest-ranked Dutch player.

Van Veen will play Gary Anderson in the semi-finals later on Friday. The second semi-final is between teen sensation Luke Littler and fellow Englishman Ryan Searle.