Humphries appeared to be in control, racing into a 4-1 lead, but Van Veen fought back to level the match at 4-4 after the Englishman missed a 25 checkout in the seventh leg. The Dutchman then moved ahead 8-6, and the remainder of the contest saw both players trading legs, neither able to establish more than a single-leg advantage.
In a gripping climax, Van Veen held his nerve to secure an 11-10 victory with a 100 checkout via double 16, capping a final that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
“This is such a phenomenal feeling,” Van Veen said. “When I missed that 100 finish and Luke hit the 85 on the bull, I thought it was over. To hit the same checkout and win is amazing. I’ll never forget this moment, and it’s incredible to win my first major title in Germany.”
Van Veen had reached the final after opening the weekend with a 10-5 win over Ryan Joyce and then overturning an 8-7 deficit against compatriot Michael van Gerwen, despite a thumb and forefinger injury sustained earlier in the day.
Humphries praised Van Veen’s performance. “The way Gian played in that second and third session was incredible,” he said. “He’s an unbelievable player, Premier League material, and I’m really proud of him. It’s tough to take, but it just wasn’t my night.”
The runner-up prize takes Humphries’ earnings to £60,000, while Van Veen pockets £120,000 and climbs to a career-high world No. 7. Humphries’ run to the final nonetheless reinforces his position at the top of the rankings, with notable wins over Krzysztof Ratajski, Cameron Menzies, James Wade, and Danny Noppert en route.
Elsewhere in Dortmund, Van Gerwen defeated Daryl Gurney 10-7 in the other quarter-final, but his campaign ended in a gripping all-Dutch semi-final against Van Veen. Home hopes were also dashed in the quarter-finals when Germany's Ricardo Pietreczko fell to Noppert after a notable run in the tournament.
Results
Quarter-finals
Gian van Veen 10-5 Ryan Joyce
Michael van Gerwen 10-7 Daryl Gurney
Danny Noppert 10-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Luke Humphries 10-3 James Wade
Semi-finals
Gian van Veen 11-9 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries 11-8 Danny Noppert
Final
Gian van Veen 11-10 Luke Humphries