Price speaks ahead of UK Open behind closed doors: "It's going to be a lot different"
PDCThursday, 04 March 2021 at 12:30
Gerwyn Price will aim to regain his momentum heading into the first ranking major of the year in the UK Open as World Champion and World Number One.
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Price had to pull out of the last two days of the Super Series due to an ear infection and is ready despite admitting he is not 100%.
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"I had to pull out of the Super Series last weekend because of a problem I’ve had with my ear and to be honest it’s still not 100%," said Price to Ladbrokes.
"I’m on stronger antibiotics now though and I’ve got some spray so fingers crossed I’ll be in better shape by Friday.
"It’s going to be a lot different to the UK Opens we’re used to seeing purely because of the lack of fans.
"It’ll just be like any other tournament we’ve had in the last few months behind closed doors which is a massive shame because when it’s in Minehead I absolutely love it."
"It’s one of the closest events to Wales so I get a lot of support down there.
"It’s one of my favourite tournaments - not just because of the support I get there but also the overall atmosphere, the sheer volume of games being played across the different stages in different rooms. I just love it."
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"I tend to do quite well in the UK Open as well. I got to the final last year and slipped up against Michael van Gerwen.
"I’m playing well though; obviously I wasn’t at my best in the Super Series but there’s reasons for that. Hopefully I’ll get back to 100% match fitness before Friday so I can have another good run.
"It’s a great format the way the draw is made for this tournament, but to be honest I don’t ever really tend to look at who I might be playing, nor do I have anyone in mind I’d want to play.
I just try to go down there and focus on my own game. I know if I’m playing at 100% then nine times out of ten I think I’m going to win."
He also discussed as part of the interview previously practicing with Michael van Gerwen before tournaments began.
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"I used to practice with other players before tournaments, a lot of the time it would be with Michael van Gerwen," he added.
"Who better to put yourself up against in practice than the best player in the world at the time.
"Once you start beating someone like that in practice, it only gives you confidence in real games because you know you can beat the best."
"I wasn’t world number one or world champion when I used to practice with Michael, but it wasn’t like he’d beat me all the time or I’d beat him all the time.
"We’ve had some good games in practice; he’s smashed me up in practice and I’ve smashed him up at times, but it probably came at a good time for him as much as it did for me. He was struggling a little bit at the time and I was getting better and better so I probably helped him out as well."
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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.
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