Gerwyn Price survives big scare to reach World Championship third round
The number three seed was taken to a final-set decider.
Gerwyn Price survived a big scare before beating fellow Welshman Jamie Lewis 3-2 to reach the third round of the William Hill PDC World Championship.
Number three seed Price is known as ‘The Iceman’, but he was in danger of losing his cool – and his place in the tournament – as Lewis piled on the pressure at London’s Alexandra Palace.
But Price held his nerve to win the final set 3-0 and secure a third-round date with Brendan Dolan or Edward Foulkes.
Price told Sky Sports: “I just couldn’t get going. It doesn’t matter how someone’s played in the past, I knew they would play that little bit better against me.
“Jamie didn’t play brilliant but he played better than he has. I was thinking about that and that’s where I went wrong.
“It’s different without the crowd. I know they get on my back a lot, but it gives me that energy and gets me going.
“Sometimes when you can’t get going you need that crowd to push you on a little bit.”
But he won four straight legs to take the first set 3-1 and lead 1-0 in the second.
Price, who struggled on his doubles and averaged only 77 in the first set, hit two 180s and produced a 160 finish to lead 2-1.
Lewis levelled with a fourth-set whitewash, but Price replied in kind to ensure he would be around after Christmas.
Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski overcame Ryan Joyce 3-0 with the help of an 11-dart leg in the second set.
“I am here for Christmas and it’s really hard for me because I would like to stay with my family at home and celebrate,” Ratajski said.
“But the border with Poland is closed and I don’t have a choice. I must stay here.”
The remaining two games on Monday saw Kim Huybrechts upset number 10 seed Ian White 3-1, while Gabriel Clemens beat Nico Kurz by the same scoreline in the all-German battle.
