Three-time world champion Van Gerwen, leapfrogged in the rankings by world championship runner-up Van Veen earlier this month, let slip 3-0 and 6-2 leads before edging an enthralling contest to lift the trophy for the first time.

World number one Luke Littler was knocked out earlier on finals day at the Exhibition World Bahrain after a comprehensive 6-2 quarter-final defeat to Gerwyn Price.

Van Gerwen produced 130-checkout on the bull to pounce on Van Veen’s missed double and secure an early break in the final before his second 100-plus checkout sealed him a 3-0 lead.

Van Veen hit back with a break and then a 111-finish to reduce the deficit to 3-2, but Van Gerwen went on to average over 107 as he opened up a four-leg advantage to lead 6-2.

In a tense see-saw battle, Van Veen responded again by taking three consecutive legs to pull it back to 6-5 and then 7-6.

But Van Gerwen, who had made a 103-checkout to edge 7-5 ahead, held his nerve to win the decisive 14th leg and land his 17th World Series title and first since 2024.

Littler, crowned world champion for a second time earlier this month, saw his 21-match unbeaten run halted by world number 12 Price, who went on to lose 7-2 to Van Gerwen in the semi-finals.

Van Gerwen ousted defending champion Stephen Bunting with a 6-4 win in the last eight, while world number two Luke Humphries was also knocked out in the quarter-finals, losing 6-3 to Nathan Aspinall.

World number two Humphries had led 3-1 before losing 6-3 to Aspinall, who went down 7-4 to Van Veen in the last four.

A power failure briefly halted play earlier on Friday evening before Van Veen sealed his place in the last four by averaging over 104 in a convincing 6-1 win against fellow countryman Danny Noppert.