Gerwyn Price in ear defenders

Darts results: Gerwyn Price 'not sure' if he'll play in PDC World Championship again after crashing out in ear defenders

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Mon January 02, 2023 · 2y ago

A despondent Gerwyn Price is 'not sure' if he'll play in the Cazoo World Darts Championship again after he was thrashed 5-1 by Gabriel Clemens in a quarter-final where he resorted to wearing ear defenders.

The world number one opted for the headwear after falling 3-1 down in Sunday night's quarter-final and after landing a 180 with his first visit en route to taking the opening leg of the fifth set in 12 darts, he promptly lost it 3-1.

Price swiftly ditched them in favour of smaller earplugs during the interval but they didn't make any difference to his fortunes either as the pre-match underdog whitewashed him 3-0 to wrap up a highly unexpected 5-1 victory.

Clemens, who was already the first German to reach the quarter-finals, averaged 99.94 compared to Price's 94.58 and hit eight of the 13 maximums while he was also more clinical with his finishing as he pinned 15 of his 43 attempts compared to the Iceman's seven from 22.

Price had started well enough by winning the opening set in just 42 darts and landing a pair of 100+ checkouts along the way - including a match high of 140 - but he was caught cold by Clemens' inspired display and the raucous German contingent in the crowd.

Afterwards he took to Instagram to post: "So frustrating you play all year round preparing for this one tournament. So gutted I wasn't let play but Good luck everyone left in. Not sure I will ever play in this event again."

Price is known for his knee-jerk reactive social media posts so darts fans can still expect him to line up next year, but nevertheless it's clear that the manner of this defeat has hit him hard.

"I think this will be amazing for darts in Germany,” said Clemens, who continues to pull in record viewing figures on German TV station Sport1, in addition to the coverage through DAZN in his home country.

“This was the biggest match of my life and it’s my best performance on the stage. I’m so happy."

He added: “Michael Smith is the Grand Slam champion, one of the favourites for the tournament and one of the best players in the world, but I will have my chances.

“I think it will be a good game. I am only focusing on the semi-finals, and I think I can beat every player.”

Mighty Mike

Tournament favourite Michael van Gerwen powered into the semi-finals for the eighth time in his career with a 5-0 thrashing of Chris Dobey.

The three-time champion, who is bidding to lift the trophy for the first time since the 2019 edition, averaged over 100 for the fourth match running with 102.39 compared to his opponent's 90.81 and fired five of the nine 180s.

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Van Gerwen's checkout percentage of 38.5% wasn't his electrifying best but it was plenty clinical enough to punish Dobey, who only managed to win three legs throughout the one-sided contest and missed 11 of his 14 attempts at doubles.

The highlight reel moment came in the fifth set when the Dutchman landed a stunning 152 checkout to complete a 12-darter and two legs later he completed his victory to set up a semi-final with Dimitri Van den Bergh.

“I feel good. Chris didn’t play his game but I put him under pressure from the beginning,” said Van Gerwen. “If Michael van Gerwen turns up, he is going to win the game, but you need to make sure your preparation is right, your focus is good.

“You need to believe in your own opportunities and your own ability, and that’s what I do.

“I have learnt from my defeats in the last few years and I've come back stronger. I feel comfortable, my belief is back and I’m looking forward to the semi-finals."

Bully Boy battles on

Michael Smith reached the Cazoo World Darts Championship semi-finals for the third time but only after a scrappy performance against Stephen Bunting.

The 2022 runner-up, who won his maiden major title at November's Grand Slam of Darts, was not at his usual high-scoring best as he averaged 91.63 compared to the Bullet's 97.16 and hit just six of the 20 maximums in the match.

However, his doubling was far more clinical and that proved to be the key difference as he pinned 16 of his 34 attempts as Bunting spurned a whopping 44 of his 58.

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Smith edged the opening set 3-2 and although his opponent hit back to breeze his way through the second 3-0, he surged into a commanding 4-1 lead by winning nine out of 11 legs during a mid-match period of domination.

To Bunting's credit, he refused to lie down and took six of the next seven legs to pull a couple of sets back and all of a sudden momentum - and the crowd - was on his side and Smith's standards were slipping.

Bully Boy rediscovered a degree of consistency but still had to rely on more wasteful finishing from Bunting in the eighth set to drag himself over the line.

"I wasn't at my best up there today," admitted Smith, who will become the new world number one if he scoops the £500,000 top prize on January 3. "I managed to dig deep when I needed it and when I was under pressure I managed to hit doubles.

"For most of the tournament I've been winning ugly, but I'm into the semi-finals. I put myself under too much pressure. Today felt weird on stage, but I when I needed to produce something I found it."

Talking the talk

Earlier Dimitri Van den Bergh reached the World Darts Championship semi-finals for the first time before taking centre stage with a viral speech.

Some say rousing, others will say cringy, but either way the Belgian's decision to steal the mic from Michael Bridge during the post-match interview is what most darts fans are talking about rather than the match that he won 4-2 at the Ally Pally.

He said: "You know what... just for a second give me this. Please. Everybody in here... exactly, exactly, exactly...

"I said EVERYBODY in here. The first very important thing that I've got to announce, I've got to say is that I just played Johnny Clayton. This man.

"The moment that I hit this double to win, for me I've got no words I have no idea, he just come up to me and said 'Dimi, well played well done good game' so please give a big applause for Johnny Clayton!

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"They just asked me: 'Dimitri, how do you feel?' I don't know how I feel. BUT you guys everybody here are part of history. The first time a Belgian professional dart player is in the semi-finals of the World Championship.

"I am that proud! Come on... YEAH!"

Even Wayne Mardle took to Twitter to say: "No Bridgey! Never let go of the mic! Ever. Stop. I can't watch!"

As for the match, Van den Bergh dominated the averages 95.49 to 93.92 and the 180 count 13-6 while he was also marginally more clinical on the doubling (36% v 35%) - but it looked as though it would go all the way until he took the last three sets.

The first four were shared, with Van den Bergh winning his two by 3-0 scorelines and Clayton taking his 3-0 and 3-1 but the fifth went the distance before the Ferret ran away with the decider.

Clayton left himself 61 in the deciding leg of the sixth set only for Van den Bergh to keep his cool on double 16 to level the match while he punished his opponent for a costly miss at the same target in leg four of set seven to move 4-3 ahead.

The Welshman led 2-1 in the eighth set only to spurn three darts to wrap it up 3-1 and he'd never see another attempt at the outer ring.

Van den Bergh, who becomes the first Belgian to reach the semi-finals of the sport’s flagship event, later told his post-match press conference" "I'm one step closer to make my dream come true of becoming a PDC World Champion.

"It was a battle up there today, I had a few moments when I felt comfortable but I missed my chances in the early stages. Jonny had chances too but thankfully he didn't take them and I'm delighted to be through.

"It is special to finally pull through to the semi-finals but I still haven't shown my best yet; I think I have the game to go all the way."

World Darts Championship: Results and schedule

Friday December 30
Afternoon Session (12.45pm GMT)
Quarter-finals (Best of 9 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

Dimitri Van den Bergh (96.32) 5-3 (93.92) Jonny Clayton
(Set scores: 0-3, 3-0, 1-3, 3-0, 2-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-2)
Michael Smith (91.63) 5-3 (97.16) Stephen Bunting
(Set scores: 3-2, 0-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-0, 0-3, 1-3, 3-1)

Evening Session (7.45pm GMT)
Quarter-finals (Best of 9 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

Gerwyn Price (94.58) 1-5 (99.94) Gabriel Clemens
(Set scores: 3-0, 1-3, 1-3, 1-3, 1-3, 0-3)
Michael van Gerwen (102.39) 5-0 (90.81) Chris Dobey
(Set scores: 3-1, 3-1, 3-0, 3-0, 3-1)

Monday January 2
Evening Session (7.30pm GMT)
Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts