"He needs to try and get himself in the Grand Slam" - Mark Webster puts Jonny Clayton under the cosh ahead of all-Welsh showdown
PDC
The World Grand Prix quarter-finals have been set, and already one of the contests stand out from the rest. Igniting their rivalry once more are the two Welsh talents and good friends Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton. However, whatever positive feelings they have for each other will be tossed to one side as they commence battle in Leicester. Another Welshman, in the form of Mark Webster,
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Both players have previously won the double-in, double-out tournament before. Price reached the final in both 2020 and 2021, smashing Dirk van Duijvenbode 5-2 before coming up short in the next edition. That was against an inform Clayton in what was dubbed 'the year of The Ferret.'
Price also reached the final in 2023 but could not prevail against Luke Humphries, but this time it feels like the Welsh duo are very much in the fight for glory.
'The Iceman' averaged 101.61 in the performance of the first round against debutant Sebastian Bialecki, who was given a cruel introduction to the Grand Prix. He is yet to drop a set in this tournament with another statement win against Ross Smith, extracting his revenge for the World Series of Darts Finals defeat. Over four years now for Price without major silverware.
It is even longer for Clayton, not including the World Cup of Darts, with the 2021 triumph his most recent success. He is also desperately scrambling for a spot in the Grand Slam of Darts with him yet to pick up a PDC ranking title in 2026. He was less convincing in his opening round tussle against Krzysztof Ratajski but managed to prevail before seeing off Wessel Nijman 3-1 with an improved display.
This has set up what is a hugely intriguing showdown between Price and Clayton. A spot in the semi-final is up for grabs, and both players will be hugely confident about getting the job done.
From friends to rivals: Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton will battle for a spot in the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix
Price got the edge on the big stage as Webster mounts pressure on Clayton
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2015 semi-finalist Webster will be as excited as anyone to see these two lock horns on the oche once more. He previewed the match on Sky Sports.
"It's a huge game, and it’s one that Gerwyn Price generally gets the better of Jonny in," he remarked. "There’s a lot more at stake here for Jonny, I feel. He needs to try and get himself in the Grand Slam.
"He wants to get to a major semi-final, he wants to get to a major final. It’s going to be tough, but both players impressed me in the previous round. Gerwyn Price was excellent in round one, Jonny’s finishing was brilliant in that game against Wessel in the previous round. He’s going to have to be on point tomorrow night."
Price has already defeated Clayton in the Winmau Masters, UK Open and World Series of Darts in 2026 on the big stage. Clayton had not defeated his Welsh compatriot since 2023 on TV but ended that drought in Night Three of the Premier League Darts 2026.
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This may edge Price as the favourite, but Webster still admitted he was expecting a big performance by both. "You expect that in quarter-finals anyway, but it doesn’t always work out like that," he acknowledged. "But look, they’ve both been impressive in different ways. Gerwyn Price has been a lot smoother a passage.
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"Jonny had to really fight in round one against Krzysztof Ratajski. He didn’t play well, found a way. He was better in round two. But he hasn’t had much luck. He beat Gerwyn Price in the World Series. But generally, this is a contest that goes the way of Gerwyn Price.
"And they played a few weeks ago in Amsterdam, and it went Gerwyn Price’s way on that occasion. So Jonny, for me, has to start well. He put in a brilliant display against him when he won this tournament in the final. Something similar will do Jonny tomorrow night."
The winner will blast themselves into the semi-finals where either Nathan Aspinall or Ryan Joyce will be waiting.
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Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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