Price ready to banish Van Barneveld memories from last year at the Grand Slam

Gerwyn Price won the first round of the Grand Slam of Darts on Saturday afternoon. In his first group match, the three-time champion defeated Nathan Rafferty 5-1.

So a major win, even if the preparation wasn’t great, as Price admitted afterwards.

”To be honest, going on to the stage I wasn’t very confident. I haven’t practiced much too much, practice room was absolutely freezing and I just I didn’t feel it today but I done a job, I won the game so I’m happy.”

Price will focus on his clash against Ryan Searle now that he has the first two points in this group. ”First game is always the toughest one and you need to get some points on the board,” he assesses. “I’m glad I got a couple of points on the board and I can look forward now.

Price blew a significant title chance in late October when he surrendered an 8-0 lead in his quarterfinal against Danny Noppert at the European Championship. ”Obviously it hurts when you when you lose big leads like that. But I think I’m better when it’s a little bit closer, nip and tuck. As soon as he starts come back into the game you start thinking a bit too much. Full credit to him but it’s one that got away.”

The World Darts Championship begins in less than a month, but ‘The Iceman’ is no thinking about Ally Pally yet. ”I’m here to win this tournament. I haven’t looked at any other tournament other than this one. All eyes, all full focus, on this.”

In 2018, Price won his first major championship at the Grand Slam of Darts. He also won this competition in 2019 and 2021. Last year, he was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Raymond van Barneveld.

”Last year Raymond pinched one out of my pocket,” Price reflects somewhat sourly. ”Think that was the best he’s played in a long while and he hasn’t played that well since.”