Price hoping to face Van Gerwen in final at PDC World Darts Championship: "I want to do it against the second best"

Gerwyn Price starts his title defence at the PDC World Darts Championship on Wednesday 15 December when he takes on the winner of the tie between Ritchie Edhouse and Lihao Wen.

Price captured his first World title at the start of the year defeating Gary Anderson 7-3 in the final but getting through the first round is always the opening hurdle.

"Every tournament the first round is always the biggest one for me. Whenever I get through a first round I seem to do alright and settle into tournaments, I think the first three or four years I never got through the first round but I'm a different player now and come back as a defending champ," said Price to Live Darts.

He also discussed his main threats to the title and admitted he only wants one player in the final.

"I've always said this before and some people say it's arrogant, some people say it's confident but I just look to myself and I know if I perform then I'll come through the majority of games. If I play my A game then I'm confident I'll get to the final. Michael (van Gerwen) is playing the best out of everyone else, he just ain't getting the results at the moment," he continued.

"I think people are playing really well against him, he's chucking in silly averages. He's playing some fantastic darts but he isn't having the luck he had in past years where people would probably fall and fail against. I hope it's me and him in the final.

"I want to do it with the crowd, I want to do it with my family there - I want to do it with the atmosphere of everything and I want to do it against the second best."