Gerwyn Price says Luke Littler handed free reign to dominate by some: "Sometimes people make it a little bit too easy for him"
PDCFriday, 24 July 2026 at 22:56
Gerwyn Price moved past Ross Smith in a 16-12 win to set up a potential tie with his good friend James Wade in the semi-finals of the World Matchplay.
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Price saw off Smith in a see-saw game that saw 'THe Iceman' get pegged back by 'Smudger' in the end before he then pulled clear. A fact that he was very much alluding to in his post match media.
He also touched upon Luke Littler and how in his view despite his true brilliance, he is often handed the game by many and allowed to exert his dominance something he hopes he can dissuade.
"I was delighted with the way I played for the majority of the game, but there were a couple of legs that I let slip. It could have come back to haunt me in the end, especially when Ross hit that 12-darter, but I'm just glad I got over the line," said Price post match to the media including DartsNews.com.
At 12-8 up, he was in control. He spoke about what he was thinking about when Smith managed to start closing the gap.
"I'm actually thinking I should be 13-7 or 14-6 because I'd wasted a few opportunities. I probably shouldn't think like that. It's just about the next leg, then the next leg, then the next leg. I'm happy to win, but I'm a little bit frustrated as well."
Doesn't see his season in glowing terms
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Despite being in four televised semi-finals this season, Price though he'd only been in two and preempted a potential semi-final with James Wade saying that in theory he doesn't really refer to his season in that glowing terms due to the fact that he hasn't played a lot of tournaments.
"I don't know. I thought I'd only been in two, but I lost to Wadey in the UK Open semi-final, so hopefully that won't happen again!
"He's a good friend of mine, but I've had a decent season. I haven't played as many tournaments as I wanted to, especially the ProTours and European Tour events, but next year I'll definitely play more."
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Price also pays no mind when it comes to playing in a previous semi-final and winning it. He takes a tomorrow is a new day approach to his next clash. "Not really. Every game is different. You can play well one minute and then everything changes the next.
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"Whoever comes through is going to be a tough opponent, but hopefully I can play well again, get through that one and finally give myself a chance of lifting this trophy."
Price gains huge roar and crowd applause.
Price touched upon where he thought he won the game and said that in reality, the deciding factor was his finishing and he said it was on both ends as he was ruthless on one chalk but also let him in by missing in another part of the game.
"Believe it or not, it was my finishing that kept me in the game, although it also let him back into it a little because I missed a few chances.
"In patches I was ruthless. I think taking out that 80 to lead 3-2 before the first break put him on the back foot a little bit. There were other legs where I missed chances on doubles, like the 46 finish, which was frustrating. But overall, my finishing was very good in spells."
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Facing close friend in Wade in potentially
He spoke earlier in the week about potential concentration issues, but he refuted that he gets bored up on the big stage. "I definitely don't get bored when I'm up there. Before the game you can overthink how long it's going to be, but once you're playing, I actually think the longer format suits me. The longer the match, the better."
At the time of writing, he could've faced Wade or Van Veen and he said that in theory, he wouldn't change anything if he was to face James Wade despite being close with him and Jonny Clayton in particular.
"I'm great friends with James and Jonny, but once I'm on stage I've got no friends.
"I'm there to win. You have to be ruthless. Off stage we're good mates—me and Wadey sit together at every ProTour—but when we're playing each other he's not my friend."
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"Sometimes with certain players you might keep your distance, but not with Wadey. I'd still practise with him if he wanted to. I know his game, he knows mine. We even practise together and sometimes he's trying to put me off while we're playing! But no, I'd still practise with him before the match."
Some players make it too easy for Littler
A lot of chatter has also surrounded Luke Littler this week and the staggering numbers he has put up and he said that while it is amazing, certain players make it too easy for him. "I think there are a lot of players who can reach that level, but not many can sustain it for as long as Luke does.
"I think I can, and there are a couple of others as well, but at the moment he's ruthless. Those 109 and 110 averages just look so easy for him.
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"I also think some players play into his hands by letting him settle into his rhythm. Sometimes you've got to play your own game and play the moments. I think people can make it a little bit too easy for him."
Gerwyn Price booked his semi-final spot in style.
Winning two titles and being World No.7 despite barely playing in his opinion, Price said that he hopes it can also give him the kick of confidence to go on and that at times, the lack of play has caught up with him.
"I think there have been ten European Tour events and I've only played in three or four. I won one, reached another final and lost to Cameron, who played fantastic against me.
"I just haven't played enough this year and I think that's caught up with me a little bit. You saw that in the first round here. If I'd played a couple more ProTours before the tournament I'd have been much sharper.
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"Next year I'll play a lot more, but when you're playing the Premier League and the World Series, you simply can't play everything."
"This tournament has been great for my confidence. Like I said, I haven't played that much this year, but this has put me in the right frame of mind for the rest of the season."
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
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