"Honestly god I was literally shaking like a leaf" - Chris Dobey looks back on his most nerve-wracking match ever

Chris Dobey has revealed that the most nerve-wracking match he has ever played was against Gerwyn Price. 'Hollywood' defeated 'The Iceman' 5-3 in sets in this year's World Darts Championship quarterfinals.

Despite missing five match darts, the darter from Bedlington managed to overturn a two-set deficit and secure victory. The former Masters champion admitted in referee Huw Ware's Tops and Tales podcast that he felt tremendous pressure during the match.

“Yeah, honestly, God, I was literally shaking like a leaf. I’ve never felt like that,'' Dobey says. “Once I got the job done, that was it. And it all changed. The Gerwyn Price one, if I had lost from that position, then there were questions.”

Dobey, currently ranked number eight in the world, no doubt had to think back to a painful memory from exactly one year earlier. Then he was ahead 4-0 against Rob Cross in the World Championship quarterfinals, but eventually lost 5-4, one of the greatest comebacks ever in PDC World Championship history.

Although some speculated that Dobey succumbed to the pressure in that match, he would not quite admit that. “I think the game against Rob Cross, I’ve came out, I would admit if I had bottled it. 

“And my game didn’t really dip in that game against Rob. He had nothing to lose at 4-0.

“He just turned up, he went on a spell where he was untouchable for four or five sets. I missed a couple of darts, one at the bull, and maybe another dart at the double. But yeah, I did nothing wrong," he added.

“I still averaged 100, 101 in that game. And yeah, it was a hard one to take, but I can’t say I bottled that one.”

Despite everything, Dobey remains focused on his ultimate goal: winning a world title. The 34-year-old is well on his way to making his dream come true after reaching the semifinals for the first time at this year's World Championship at Alexandra Palace. “If I could win the world title, then I’ve accomplished what everyone plays for," he said.

The six-time Players Championship winner also revealed what his profession would have been had he not become a pro darter. “I used to work on the roads as a traffic operative," Dobey laughed.

“So, putting the signs on the motorways and the cones out and getting called left, right and centre for closing the road.”