Price Outlasts Smith in Blackpool Classic to Reach Matchplay Semi-Finals

Price 16-12 Smith: Quarter-Final Settled on Doubles

Gerwyn Price reached the World Matchplay semi-finals, beating Ross Smith 16-12 in a quarter-final that stayed tight past leg 28. Neither player built more than a two-leg lead through the closing stretch.

Finishing decided it. Price converted his doubles at the moments Smith pressed, turning pressure into holds without conceding the breaks that would have shifted the scoreline. The extended format punished any lapse in concentration, and Price held his throw when the leg count climbed into the high teens.

Smith matched Price on scoring but could not string the breaks together. He competed across long stretches, yet the gap stayed at the margins: a handful of legs, a few missed doubles at the wrong moments.

Van Veen in the Last Four

Price now faces Gian van Veen in the semi-finals. Van Veen has reached the last four with wins that mark him as a player unburdened by expectation, younger and less predictable than the opponents Price has faced this week.

The matchup puts Price's experience in the longer format against Van Veen's freer game. Price has reached this stage before and manages matches session by session. Van Veen's scoring will meet an opponent who does not give legs away cheaply.

Price is four legs from a World Matchplay final. Smith exits with the form he carried through the week, the quarter-final decided by the narrow margins that knockout darts demand.