Gerwyn Price has backed himself to unseat Luke Littler in his bid to win back-to-back World Darts Championships after winning this year’s event at Alexandra Palace.
Price averaged 96.44 in his straight-set win over Adam Gaulas, giving him six best scores, but he only lost two legs due to a wayward finish in the outside ring.
The 2021 champion is in the same draw section as world number one Luke Littler, who has reached the final in each of his past two appearances, leaving the pair on a collision course to potentially meet in the quarter-finals.
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Gerwyn Price defeated Adam Gaulas in the first round, winning in straight sets with only two legs dropped.
Littler was the pre-tournament favorite to become the first player since Gary Anderson to successfully defend the Sid Waddell Trophy, but Price believes he can thwart ‘The Nuke’ and the others he faces.
“I’m winning. To be honest, I’m not losing. Nobody can beat me this year,” Price said confidently at his victory press conference. “Before a big tournament, I delete social media and stay in my own little bubble.
“I believe in my talent and ability, but if people say (the winner of Littler vs. Price wins the tournament), fair play to them.
“I just believe we’re going to win this tournament. I don’t care what obstacles are in front of me. I know it’s going to be tough, it’s going to be very tough no matter who I play, but I’m definitely going to overcome every match.”
Price topped the PDC Pro Tour Achievement Award after a great year on floor, winning titles on both the PDC European Tour and the World Series of Darts, but has not reached a major TV final since 2023.
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Glen Durrant talks about why Gerwyn Price has a chance to win the World Darts Championship for a second time
The Icemen are expected to reach the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace for the first time since their 2021 championship, which was held behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak, and Price was pleased with his performance and the crowd’s support.
“I think I played pretty decent in that fight, apart from losing two legs,” Price told Sky Sports about his first-round victory. “I thought I was okay. I need to improve to win this tournament, but I was okay for the first round.
“I don’t usually get this kind of support, so I’m really grateful. The fans have been amazing to me over the past 18 months, or two years.
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From celebratory kebabs to winning his first World Darts Championship title, a look back at Luke Littler’s top five moments at Ally Pally
“Honestly, winning a million won’t change my life, but I want to win trophies. I want to be back in the top four in the world and be where I think I deserve. As long as these[crowds]are with me, I think I can win everything.”
Mardle: ‘Outstanding’ Price ‘Doing Everything Right’
Wayne Mardle, a four-time World Championship semi-finalist, told Sky Sports:
“I didn’t expect Adam (Gauras) to play so badly, I have to admit, but it was exactly what I expected from Gerwyn Price. Not the doubles he missed, actually – there was too much for him to like – but the scoring was outrageous.”
“We go on and on about the elites and champions of the game finding ways and all that, but champions actually do things like that. Elites do things like that over and over again.”
“To be fair, he looked very comfortable, he looked happy. He just looks like a million bucks right now. You can see he’s full of energy and he’s full of focus when he needs to be.”
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Gerwyn Price beats Adam Gaulas in straight sets to achieve a stunning 120 finish
“He has everything. He has the same feel and touch that you have. He must feel like a million bucks just doing everything right.”
“I believe Price and (Luke) Littler are going to fight. There will be no stopping him until that point. If he can get rid of Littler, who knows what will happen in that fight. Then he will start thinking about becoming world champion again.”
“You don’t think about it this early. You think, ‘Yeah, let’s get a little carried away and see how it goes and get to the quarters against Littler and see what happens after that.’ It was really impressive. The scoring was brutal.”
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