By Gareth James
Gerwyn Price became the first Welshman to be crowned William Hill PDC World Darts Champion after a nerve-tingling 7-3 victory over Gary Anderson.
The Markham ace missed 11 darts at the title before landing a D5 that saw him also go to No 1 in the Order of Merit for the first time.
Price produced some sensational darts as he dominated the behind-closed-doors final at London’s Alexandra Palace before adding his name to the roll-call of Wales’ world beaters
The 35-year-old also walked away with the Β£500,000 winner’s cheque to complete his fairtytale rise from playing rugby to being crowned champion of the world.
Price ends Michael van Gerwen’s seven-year spell at the top of the Order of Merit following his victory over the two-time champion Anderson.
Leighton Rees won the first World Championship in 1978 and was beaten in the final the following year by John Lowe.
But since the sport split in 1994 no Welshman had ever reached the final of the PDC version until Price after his 6-4 semi-final victory over Stephen Bunting.
Richie Burnett (1995), Mark Webster (2008) and Wayne Warren, in 2020, have won the BDO title.
Anderson had the throw first and took the opening leg of the best of 13 sets match then immediately broke Price with a 76 checkout.
The man from Musselburgh missed four darts to complete a first set whitewash and Price took advantage winning his first leg of the night with an 84 checkout.
Price just held onto his own throw to level the match with a D20 finish, then produced another D20 to snatch the first set.
Then Price won the opening leg of the second set and looked set to break Anderson until the scot levelled with a 128 checkout, the highest of the match so far.
Anderson then broke Price and levelled the match in sets after Price missed two darts to take it to a deciding leg.
Price, beaten in the semi-fials last year, responded by breaking Anderson at the start of the third set with a 12-dart leg then quickly held his throw.
Anderson produced a stunning 170 checkout to keep in the set but it was not enough as a D20 saw Price take a 2-1 lead in sets.
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Gerwyn Price carries the hopes & expectations of a nation on his shoulders tonight as he contests the biggest match in his darting career!
Pob lwc @Gezzyprice…leave it all on the oche and have no regrets.
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— Darts Cymru (@DartsCymru) January 3, 2021
Price produced a 120 checkout – his first 100+ of the night – as he took the lead in the fourth set and finished Anderson off with a 13 darter on his own throw.
That gave him a 3-1 lead in sets, averaging over 102 at that stage compared to Anderson’s 95.07.
Former rugby player Price started the fifth set by taking the opening leg against the throw with an 83 checkout.
And he took the next with a 97 checkout (19,D19,D20) when Anderson looked poised to level.
Price missed a D18 which would have given him the set on a whitewash but a 786 checkout on his own throw took him 4-1 ahead in sets and more than half-way to the title.
Price then made it 5-1 in sets with an astonishing whitewash as Anderson’s game crumbled while his own got even better.
He won one leg with a 100 checkout then produced his best of the match – 161 – before completing the set with a magnificent 10 darter just missing a D12 on a nine darter in the final.
The set had been won with a 11-darter, 12-darter then that nine darter which was sensational form from a man who usually likes a crowd to get him in the groove.
Price had chances in the seventh set to move within one of the title but nerves maybe finally got the better of him.
And Anderson took the reprieve he badly needed having seen Price miss four darts at the double to just about drag himself back into the match at 5-2 down in sets.
Wow π³ pic.twitter.com/ipVvF3kY1s
— Mark Webster (@Webby180) January 3, 2021
Anderson, who won the title in 2015 and 2016, Β had the chance to break Price’s throw at 1-1 in the eighth set, but missed.
Price then produced his ninth maximum of the night on his throw next time before sealing the set with his first attempt at D20.
The man who last year won the World Cup of Darts for Wales with Jonny Clayton was now one set away from global glory – with Anderson needing to win five sets on the trot.
Price started the ninth set by pinching Anderson’s throw and held his own after his rival had chances to break back.
Then Price had one dart at the title in the next after Anderson had missed, but the 60-year-old just about took the leg.
Price then missed seven darts to clinch victory but missed the chance allowing Anderson to take the set into a deciding leg which he won to drag it back to 6-3 in sets.
Price missed a couple more darts to seal victory in the deciding leg of the 10th set, but he finally nailed a D5 after Anderson had also failed to seal the set to be crowned champion.
Gerwyn Price Route To The Final
R2: 3-2 Jamie Lewis (Average: 91.97)
R3: 4-3 Brendan Dolan (Average: 99.74)
R4: 4-1 Mervyn King (Average: 97.71)
QF: 5-4 Daryl Gurney (Average: 96.36)
SF: 6-4 Stephen Bunting (Average: 100.92)
FIn: 7-3 Gary Anderson (Average 100.08)