By Gareth James
Gerwyn Price kept his dream of being crowned World Champion alive with a nail-biting 4-3 victory over Brendan Dolan to reach the last 16.
The Markham ace was taken to a deciding leg in the final set by the Northern Irishman at London’s Alexandra Palace before sealing a thrilling win with a 72 checkout.
World No 3 Price will now face Mervyn King for a place in the quarter-finals.
Price will also become the No 1 in the Order of Merit rankings for the first time if he is crowned World Champion, leapfrogging current leader Michael van Gerwen and reigning champ Peter Wright who crashed out on Sunday night in a shock defeat.
The 35-year-old took a tight first set 3-2 against but then lost the second set 3-0 being broken on his own throw with some disappointing arrows.
Price, who beat countryman Jamie Lewis in the second round, then broke Dolan in the next set after his opponent missed his double to take the set without dropping a leg to lead 2-1.
Former rugby player Price let out a huge roar as he levelled at 1-1 in the fourth set with a brilliant 138 checkout but after missing a D7 for a 122 checkout later, Dolan took the set to level it up at 2-2.
Price responded with the biggest checkout of all – a 170 Big Fish – at the start of the fifth set. He immediately broke Dolan’s throw with a D5 on his way to taking the set 3-0 from the man from Enniskillen and move within a set of reaching the last 16.
The sixth set went with throw for the first four legs and after Price missed D20 for a 145 checkout and the match, Dolan – nicknamed The History Man – showed he was out to make some more as he set-up a deciding set with a 104 finish.
Price, nicknamed The Iceman, was showing some nerves as he missed numerous chances before taking the first leg of the decider with a D5. But Dolan quickly levelled the match again on his own throw.
But Price produced an 86 checkout to move within one leg of victory but a superb 120 checkout takes the match into a deciding leg with Price having the advantage of throwing first.
And Price made the most of them to set up that last 16 clash with King finally seeing off Dolan with a D20 finish for a 72 checkout.