Van Veen’s presence in the final is not a shock; he started this tournament as third favourite. 

But if Littler embodies innate talent – it is easy to imagine the Warrington whizz as a natural who was scoring 180s while still in nappies – Van Veen’s journey to this point is more about perseverance and pain.

When he joined the PDC in 2023, he struggled with “dartitis”, a psychological condition where the player releases the dart later than the intended moment, akin to the yips in golf. The affliction has wrecked some past stars’ careers. 

Van Veen has come through it now, but he occasionally performs a “ghost throw” of an invisible dart to loosen up his arm, a by-product of a fight which dented his confidence and earliest years on tour.

“Three or four years ago, I was in Barnsley, struggling with darts and crying at the table,” Van Veen said after winning yesterday’s semi-final against Gary Anderson. “Now look at me four years later. It has all been worth it.”