Will “The Machine” Eliminate the World Championship Runner-Up?
On Friday evening at the Winter Gardens, a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal will take place. If things go as they did in 2025, our pick in the Gian van Veen vs. James Wade match should be the Englishman, whose run in Blackpool even took him all the way to the grand final after a 16-13 victory over the Dutchman. There, he was defeated by Luke Littler. Nevertheless, this wasn’t the first deep run by “The Machine” at the World Matchplay. In 2007, the now 43-year-old veteran actually won the major tournament once before. We believe he has an excellent chance of defeating the Dutch world runner-up once again.
After all, since finishing second at the World Championship, the Dutchman’s last six months have been marked not only by health issues (kidney stones) but also by significant fluctuations in performance. Even in the round of 16 against Wessel Nijman, the 24-year-old struggled, ultimately posting a lower average (96.95) than his compatriot (97.44), although he did manage to keep his cool during the decisive double-16 finish. Nevertheless, in the match between Gian van Veen and James Wade, our prediction favors the Englishman, who—especially in longer formats—simply has the cleaner scoring and the more consistent double hit rate on his side.
Given that the top bookmakers are favoring Gian van Veen over James Wade and last year’s finalist James Wade is entering the match as the underdog, the value on a Wade victory is even higher.
Gian van Veen – James Wade Head-to-Head Record
Head-to-Head: 4:8
The two players have faced off twelve times at the oche so far, and in two-thirds of those matches, James Wade came out on top—including at the 2025 World Matchplay (16:13), when he knocked Gian van Veen out of the competition in the quarterfinals. In their most recent matchup in January 2026, however, the Dutchman won 4:2.
Gian van Veen – James Wade Prediction
The head-to-head record and experience at the World Matchplay in Blackpool—where Gian van Veen is competing for only the third time—initially favor James Wade. Overall, the Englishman—who recently came close to a 100 average (99.85) in his 11-8 victory over Ryan Searle—is the more composed player, showing little fluctuation in his game thanks to solid scoring and a good double rate. But this is precisely where Gian van Veen serves as a sort of X-factor, as the Dutchman is capable of significantly raising his scoring level at times. His double-16 finish against Wessel Nijman also demonstrated that the 24-year-old can deliver in crucial moments, even under pressure.
Basically, we can expect a closely contested match, in which we give the 43-year-old Englishman a slight edge. Ultimately, the tournament’s long format simply suggests that his consistent style of play—which critics sometimes disparagingly describe as “sleep-inducing”—will prevail. With that in mind, we recommend betting on “The Machine” advancing to the semifinals.
