Van Gerwen weighs in on Price using ear defenders in Clemens loss: “In his position with his capability and how big he is in darts, I wouldn’t have done it”

After easing into the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship with a 5-0 whitewash victory over Chris Dobey, Michael van Gerwen weighed in on the antics of Gerwyn Price in the Welshman's defeat to Gabriel Clemens earlier in the night.

Steamrolling over a below-par Chris Dobey, van Gerwen averaged over 102. However, as he says himself "I still feel there is more to come." This a word of warning to the remaining competitors as Mighty Mike looks to claim a 4th World Title. "The way how I've been playing in the last few weeks and months, I'm playing some good darts and I believe in myself. I can do anything."

There was only one thing on the minds of the darting world after the quarter-finals had been rounded up though, and that was Gerwyn Price. Struggling with the Ally Pally crowd getting on his back, Price took to the stage for the fifth set of his encounter with Gabriel Clemens wearing a pair of ear defenders, something he had previously called his "plan B". Ultimately it wasn't enough for Price to turn the tide of the match-up as he ended up losing 5-1 to the German Giant.

Never one to shy away from giving his opinion, Michael van Gerwen shared his thoughts on Price's antics. "I told him he didn't have the balls to put them on," MVG revealed. “In his position with his capability and how big he is in darts, I wouldn’t have done it. But he's been going through a rough period and that doesn't make it easy."

The penultimate obstacle for van Gerwen to overcome on his quest to lift the Sid Waddell trophy will be Dimitri van den Bergh. "I think Dimi is playing a lot better than he was a month ago so I need to be sharp like I was tonight," van Gerwen says. "From all the games I've played against him, he's beaten me maybe once? But that doesn't give me any guarantees for this one so I need to make sure I am sharp."