“I’m going to do it this weekend” – Gerwyn Price brimming with confidence on the title hunt in Prague after convincing win

Gerwyn Price has made no secret of his ambitions for the rest of the Czech Darts Open. The Welshman booked his place in Sunday afternoon’s quarter-finals with a convincing 6-1 win over Cameron Menzies, then confidently declared he plans to lift the Prague title for the first time. “I'm going to do it this weekend.”

The scoreline suggested Price had little trouble with Menzies, but the stage level told a different story. With an average around 90–91, ‘The Iceman’ was some way off his best. He didn’t need to be this time, as Menzies also struggled.

Afterwards, the Scot even apologised for his display. Price saw the funny side. “That's what Cameron said there," Price explained. "He's apologising. I said, 'Don't apologise.' I'd prefer you to play like that.”

Price felt his opponent’s low level also made it hard to find a proper rhythm himself. The former world champion knew he hadn’t shown his top darts, but saw little reason to dwell on it. “So it was a tough game to play in. Obviously, Cameron wasn't at his best and neither was I. Probably if he played better, I probably would as well. But yeah, you just sometimes go with the emotions in the game and yeah, I got a win, so that's all that matters."

Price no longer has to worry about his spot in the last eight. That means a new phase of the tournament begins for him on Sunday evening.

Players often disagree on which match is the toughest during a Euro Tour weekend. For some, the last-16 tie on Sunday afternoon is a key hurdle, while others struggle with the quarter-final after the break between afternoon and evening sessions.

For Price, there’s little doubt. The Welshman sees his first match of the weekend as the hardest obstacle. “No, no. Yesterday is the most difficult one for me,” he said. “The first game of the tournament, get some ranking points on the board. Today is just a free roll.”

Reaching the final day lifts a big chunk of pressure off his shoulders, according to Price. From that moment he can focus fully on winning the title. “I don't feel any pressure today. If I win, I win. If I don't, I don't. I've got some ranking points on the board."

That does not mean Price is satisfied with just a quarter-final spot. Far from it. Despite his modest average against Menzies, he believes his level this weekend is good enough to go all the way. “I'm here to win and I'm playing well enough to win as well.”

‘The Iceman’ can also count on strikingly strong backing from the Prague crowd. Price is among the most successful players in European Tour history, but a Czech Darts Open title is still missing from his résumé.

When told in the interview that he had never won the tournament in the Czech Republic, Price sounded slightly surprised. “Have I never won here before?” asked the Welshman.

The answer prompted an immediate response. Price views this weekend as the perfect moment to change that. “Oh well, yeah, we'll make a change, right? I’m going to do it this weekend.”

Confidence is certainly not lacking for Price, who is also clearly enjoying the way the Czech crowd is treating him. The support he receives during his matches can, he feels, play a key role in his title push. “If the crowd are the way they are, you know, they're fantastic for me.”