By David Williams
Gerwyn Price has claimed he nearly pulled out of the World Darts Championship over concerns about the reception he would face from the Alexandra Palace crowd.
Following his emphatic 3-0 second-round win over Connor Scutt on Monday night, Price told Sky Sports he had been sat at home the previous evening and “probably wasn’t going to play the tournament”.
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The 2021 champion did show for his opening match and was full of praise for the crowd after his impressive performance in which he averaged 98.01 and dropped only two legs.
“I started off really well, found a 180 [in the first leg] and sort of got the crowd on my side a little bit,” Price said.
“My game was steady. It wasn’t my A-game – first-round jitters – but I am happy. I am thankful I got through.
“The crowd were brilliant. I was turning up to Ally Pally like it was last year and the crowd would be on my back but this year they were brilliant. I was a bit apprehensive; I didn’t know what would happen.
“I was sat in my house at 6 o’clock [on Sunday] and probably wasn’t going to play the tournament. I wasn’t even on my way to London.”
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Price hit 17 tons, including five 180s, and had a healthy check-out percentage.
The 38-year-old is aiming to end a productive 2023 season, where he has won six ranking titles and guided Wales to a World Cup of Darts success by becoming only the seventh multiple world champion.
Price won the Worlds behind closed doors in 2021, beating Gary Anderson 7-3 in the final, with the lack of fans that year aiding his campaign, while the ‘Iceman’ famously wore ear defenders on stage last year to attempt to dull the crowd noise.
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Ahead of the tournament, Price said “I’d rather win every other major and not even go to Ally Pally”, but following the warmer reception for him during his win over Scutt, he now believes he is capable of claiming a second world title.
“It is really difficult to come here when you’ve got the crowd on your back, but they were brilliant fair play to them,” Price said.
“If they keep on like this, there is no reason why I can’t win it.”
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