2021 World Grand Prix: Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton set to face each other in thrilling all-Welsh final | Darts News
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World Cup partners Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton to fight for 2021 World Grand Prix crown
Thirty-two players have come, with only two Welsh left, as World Cup partners Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton prepare to lock the horns in Saturday’s World Grand Prix final at Morningside Arena in Leicester.
Price attempts to follow in the footsteps of Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen by becoming the third player in Grand Prix history to defend the coveted title, while Clayton aims for his first televised ranking crown.
‘The Ferret’ has established himself as one of the world’s best darts players by winning the Masters and Premier League this year, but with both tournaments unranked, his current status as world No.13 does not reflect his exploits. .
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The subplots are fascinating. Clayton attributes his meteoric rise to his World Cup triumph alongside Price last November, and now the world No.1 is aiming to stop the juggernaut he is tasked with unleashing.
The defending champion fought the crowd as much as his opponents this week, and despite struggling for long stretches of the event, he gave up just three sets to advance to the final.
Clayton produced a series of sparkling displays to reach his 2021 Round of 16, but Price certainly has the psychological advantage over his compatriot.
This year’s World Grand Prix has been fraught with uncertainties, but we can guarantee that the title will return to Wales. The question is, will it be Markham or Pontyberem?
The story awaits The Iceman?
Price aims for sixth individual major title when he meets Clayton in Saturday’s final
“Champions find a way, that’s what they do. Wayne Mardle’s remarks midway through Price’s semi-final showdown against Stephen Bunting proved prophetic, as ‘The Iceman’ came back from 2-0 to keep his title defense alive in dramatic fashion .
The world number one was in tungsten turmoil at one point against “The Bullet,” but he overcame a fear of injury and a hostile crowd to secure his place in a second straight Grand Prix final.
Price’s journey to the final
| L32: | 2-0 v Michael Smith (100.82) |
|---|---|
| L16: | 3-1 v Mervyn King (93.19) |
| QF: | 3-0 v Dave Chisnall (87.58) |
| SF: | 4-2 vs. Stephen Bunting (88.99) |
Before his last four fights, Price’s progress had been relatively smooth. He sailed in a potential banana peel in the first round to defeat world No.9 Michael Smith in straight sets, becoming the seventh man to average over a ton in tournament history.
The world champion rallied to a set to defeat veteran Mervyn King in the second round, before punishing a prodigious display from double runner-up Dave Chisnall to complete a routine 3-0 quarter-final victory.
Clayton on the verge of coming of age
Clayton hopes to continue Masters and Premier League success with first major league title
“The Ferret” celebrated his 47th birthday by launching his campaign with complete straight-set success against Callan Rydz, scoring 95 and converting 60% of his final doubles.
This set a precedent for his extraordinary consistency in the outer ring throughout the week, as he tries to win a third major title in 2021 and catapult himself into the top eight in the world.
Clayton’s journey to the final
| L32: | 2-0 against Callan Rydz (95.10) |
|---|---|
| L16: | 3-1 v José De Sousa (94.95) |
| QF: | 3-2 v Krzysztof Ratajski (91.44) |
| SF: | 4-1 v Danny Noppert (94.82) |
The little Welshman landed more than four tons of finishes to represent Jose De Sousa in a repeat of this year’s Premier League final, before recovering from a 2-1 drift to defeat the semi-finalist of the World Matchplay Krzysztof Ratajski in an exciting last eight fight.
Clayton was converting 65% of his finishing doubles before his semifinal clash against Danny Noppert, and he produced another compelling display to explain the winner to Michael van Gerwen, winning 4-1 with an average of 94.82.
Price: I have to improve
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Price was relieved to reach the World Grand Prix final after what he described as « one of his worst performances » beating Stephen Bunting
“I dug to the end and luckily I crossed the winning line. It’s probably one of the worst performances I’ve had [vs Bunting]. It was hard.
“I was under a lot of pressure and the crowd was on my back. I was basically down and had to kick myself in the back.
“Jonny is brilliant. He’s been playing fantastic darts the entire tournament. It will be a tough game, but I hope I can play a lot better than I did in the semi-finals, because I need it.
Clayton: I’m on the moon
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Clayton was delighted to have reached the World Grand Prix final at the expense of Danny Noppert
“I am on the moon. I came here to reach the final and I did it – it’s fantastic. I am delighted with this victory. Hope this is my year.
“The crowd is absolutely fantastic. The support is awesome. Welsh flags are everywhere so I think they wanted an all Welsh final.
“It’s good that I’m far enough in a ranking tournament! I look forward. Let’s see what’s going on.
One-on-one registration
Price and Clayton led Wales to first World Cup success in November 2020
Price dominates the duo’s record, having won 11 of their 16 encounters, and more importantly, the world champion has won each of their last eight encounters.
Clayton came out on top in their first two televised clashes, although it has been one-way traffic for « The Iceman » since, and he has won their last three encounters by an aggregate score of 23-7. .
Gerwyn Price vs. Jonny Clayton – Head to Head
| Price | Clayton | |
|---|---|---|
| World ranking: | 1 | 13 |
| Individual major titles: | 5 | 2 |
| One-on-one review: | 11 | 5 |
| One-on-one TV: | 3 | 2 |
| 2021 titles: | 4 | 4 |
The world No.1 won a full 11-3 winner in his last World Matchplay fight in July, and Clayton is attempting to topple Price on the televised stage for the first time since November 2017.
However, their lone showdown in a PDC final saw “The Ferret” take an 8-5 victory over Price in the Austrian Darts Open final in April 2018. Can he repeat the feat tonight?
Can Clayton bother?
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Wayne Mardle and John Part wonder if Clayton can upset World No.1 prize in World Grand Prix final
Wayne Mardle: “Jonny launches with a brilliant rhythm. His final stats throughout the event were unlike anything we’ve seen before. He will feel like he has a real chance.
“The downside is when he plays against Gerwyn he’s normally underperforming, but if he wins he can go to No. 7 in the world. Are there six better players in the world than Jonny Clayton right now?
» The answer is no. He has just proven once again that he is one of the best in the world. It’s all Gerwyn Price’s fault. He created a monster! «
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Experience the best of the action from the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix
John Party: » That’s exciting. We feel like Jonny is in both form, but Price is the leader of the pair. He has always had dominance in head-to-head matches.
“With Jonny, there’s kind of a carry over – to Gerwyn. He has a lot of respect for him, and he’s probably thankful that the World Cup got him on his way.
“He’s going to have to be a little more aggressive and play for himself, not for Wales. «
Watch live coverage of the World Grand Prix final on Saturday from 8:30 p.m. – join us on Sky Sports Main Event and Arena for the thrilling conclusion of seven days of mind-blowing drama
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