Top-ranked Gerwyn Price under 'a bit more pressure' at World Championship
- Published
Former professional rugby player Gerwyn Price only started competing on the PDC tour in 2014 after winning a place in qualifying school
Gerwyn Price accepts he is under "a bit more pressure" going into the PDC World Darts Championship as world number one than at other tournaments.
The 37-year-old Welshman also hopes to avoid early round nerves as he tries to reclaim the title he won in 2021.
"The pressure's there on every single tournament, obviously a bit more with the World Championship.
"I think it's just the first round jitters if you know what I mean," he told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
Price will play Luke Woodhouse or Vladyslav Omelchenko in his opener on Monday, 19 December aiming to win and then come back "all guns firing" after the festive break.
He will go into action at Alexandra Palace having been at the venue throughout the weekend watching some of the games and practicing.
"I had a couple of exhibitions this week which I think I needed to give me a boost of confidence.
"I used a new set of darts, obviously it's the same set-up that I use, but a new set and I was playing really well so I'm going into this tournament full of confidence off the back of four really good days.
"The back end of this year has been really good to me, so fingers crossed I can get through the first round and have a good Christmas and then that's when the tournament really starts then I think, third round on."
This time around, Price hopes to share in success with his family and friends, having won the title by beating Gary Anderson in an empty venue due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"I was up there alone," said Price.
"I was in the hotel on my own most of the tournament to go into a World Championship Final, where the venue is obviously completely dead, even the practice room and it was quite eerie, really, and it wasn't nice.
"But it was great to win the tournament, but first and foremost is it will be good to have my family there obviously if I did reach the world final and managed to pick up the trophy again.
"But, yeah, obviously, I want the crowd there, I feed off the ground and I feed off the atmosphere."
Price also reflected on "a lot of ups and downs" in 2022, including breaking a hand and "struggling" with his game.
"But I battled on and as soon as my hand got a little bit better my form started to come back, it did take a while and you know like I said as soon as I found that form it was sort of real me again.
"It was difficult for six months, but those are the periods you need to knuckle down and come through them."
Price's compatriot Jonny Clayton is the seventh seed. Jim Williams, Robert Owen, Lewy Williams and Richie Burnett complete the list of Welsh competitors.
Burnett was the first of them in action, losing 3-2 against Czech Republic's Adam Gawlas on Saturday. Clayton will be the last to begin, on Friday, 23 December.
The final is on Tuesday, 3 January.
Listen to the extended interview with Gerwyn Price on Friday's Radio Wales Sport from 19:00 GMT on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Sounds, and on demand after transmission.