Quiet Scot to Face loud Welshman in final
Former rugby union hooker Gerwyn Price – the first Welshman to make the world darts championship final – and twotime champion Gary Anderson insist they will put past tensions aside when they clash for the $1 million first prize.
Price lived up to his Iceman nickname as he came from 3-1 down to beat England’s Stephen Bunting by six sets to four in the first PDC world championships semifinal at London’s Alexandra Palace yesterday.
Anderson, of Scotland, beat England rival Dave Chisnall six sets to four in the later semifinal.
Price and Anderson clashed verbally when the Welshman won a bad-temperedWorld Grand Slam of Darts final in Wolverhampton in 2018, with the Scot accusing his opponent of slow play and over-exuberant celebrations.
Asked in a PDC Darts Twitter interview after his win over Chisnall, how he expected the atmosphere to be in the final, Anderson said: ‘‘I will be quiet, and he will be loud.’’
But he said Price played well in his semifinal.
Price was also unfazed at the prospect of a rematch. ‘‘I’m more experienced now – it was a few years ago,’’ he said after beating Bunting.
‘‘There was a bit of needle [then], but we are both professional. I’m going to go up there and give it my all and play my game like I play every other time.’’
The 35-year-old, who won the World Grand Prix and World Series Finals titles in 2020, said in a post-match television interview that it was ‘‘the best I played this tournament, and I needed to’’.
‘‘Stephen was brilliant in his finishing, and he punished me.’’
Price – who played rugby in Wales’ Premier League and had a brief PRO12 stint with the Glasgow Warriors – won the first set but Bunting took the next three before the Welshman mounted his comeback.
‘‘I’m glad I played a little bit better and got through that game. I’m here to win this tournament and I’ve got every chance of winning this tomorrow,’’ said Price.
‘‘There was a bit of needle [then], but we are both professional.’’
Gerwyn Price on his rivalry with Gary Anderson
‘‘I seem to find that little edge when I need to and I think the better someone plays against me, the better I play.’’
Anderson was too consistent for the giantkilling Chisnall in the second semifinal.
The 50-year-old from
East
Lothian won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016, but said he had ‘‘no expectations’’ in the last two years. ‘‘But we’ve got here ... it’s not bad,’’ he said.
Anderson was surprised to hear that he had averaged just over 100 during the semifinal, saying he thought it would have been 77. ‘‘It felt atrocious,’’ he laughed.
Anderson nailed 13 180s on his way to victory, but said he would have ‘‘to do a lot more’’ to win the £500,000 ($1 million) first prize today.
It will be the fifth final for Anderson, who said: ‘‘Not bad, is it? If you had told me that last month I would probably have choked you and said ‘dinnae be daft’.’’
Anderson said while his average ‘‘was good’’, he felt his performance against Chisnall featured a lot of loose darts.
‘‘If I do that [in the final], it’s not looking good.’’
Chisnall, 40, caused a sensation by ousting three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen 5-0 in the quarterfinals.
Anderson now has a chance to join van Gerwen on three wins.
England’s Phil Taylor, who retired in 2018, holds the record with 14 titles between 1995 and 2013.
The runner-up will earn £500,000 ($400,000) while Chisnall and Bunting – two mates who grew up in the Lancashire town of St Helens – each pocketed £100,000 ($200,000) for bowing out in the semifinals.