Gerwyn Price suffered a defeat in the second round of the World Darts Championship at the hands of Wesley Plaisier. The Dutch player delivered an outstanding performance at Alexandra Palace, leaving the Welshman far behind.
Plaisier, who had never advanced beyond the second round at Alexandra Palace, displayed remarkable composure against the favored “Iceman.” He showcased his skill by converting nine out of 16 double attempts, while Price managed to secure only four legs throughout the match.
In a surprising turn of events, Plaisier dominated the match, preventing the 2021 World Champion from winning a single set. This unexpected outcome paved the way for Luke Littler, who was set to meet Price in the quarter-finals.
With notable seeded players like Joe Cullen, Chris Dobey, and Ryan Joyce exiting the tournament in the second round, Price, seeded ninth, joined the ranks of eliminated stars at the same stage.
Although Price was anticipated to secure a comfortable victory, Plaisier defied expectations and outperformed him, starting strong with a remarkable 130 checkout ending on the bullseye.
Despite a valiant effort from Price in the final set, where he achieved an impressive average of 106.70, Plaisier maintained his momentum with a solid 97.23 average. The crowd at Ally Pally even rallied behind Price briefly, a rare occurrence in north London.
In a tense moment, Price missed crucial darts in the final set, allowing Plaisier to clinch the victory. Littler’s journey to the third round hinges on his upcoming match against Welsh competitor David Davies, with the World No. 1 being the clear favorite to advance.
Should Littler progress, a match against Mensur Suljovic awaits in the next round. Fans can catch all the action from the PDC World Darts Championship, starting on December 11, live on Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.