[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header-nav":3,"footer-nav":29,"article-gerwyn-price-ross-smith-world-matchplay-quarter-finals-analysis":82,"category-counts-nav":97,"related-gerwyn-price-ross-smith-world-matchplay-quarter-finals-analysis":107},[4,8,11,14,17,20,23,26],{"label":5,"to":6,"exact":7},"Home","\u002F",true,{"label":9,"to":10},"World Cup","\u002Fworldcup",{"label":12,"to":13},"Standings","\u002Fstandings",{"label":15,"to":16},"Football","\u002Fcategory\u002Ffootball",{"label":18,"to":19},"Basketball","\u002Fcategory\u002Fbasketball",{"label":21,"to":22},"Tennis","\u002Fcategory\u002Ftennis",{"label":24,"to":25},"F1","\u002Fcategory\u002Ff1",{"label":27,"to":28},"Long Reads","\u002Fcategory\u002Flong-reads",{"brand":30,"columns":32,"tagline":80,"copyright":81},{"description":31},"In-depth sports journalism covering football, basketball, tennis, F1, and beyond. Daily analysis, long reads, and expert opinion.",[33,51,59],{"heading":34,"links":35},"Leagues",[36,39,42,45,48],{"label":37,"to":38},"Premier League","\u002Ftag\u002Fpremier-league",{"label":40,"to":41},"La Liga","\u002Ftag\u002Fla-liga",{"label":43,"to":44},"NBA","\u002Ftag\u002Fnba",{"label":46,"to":47},"Formula 1","\u002Ftag\u002Fformula-1",{"label":49,"to":50},"Champions League","\u002Ftag\u002Fchampions-league",{"heading":52,"links":53},"Content",[54,56,57],{"label":55,"to":16},"Analysis",{"label":27,"to":28},{"label":58,"to":16},"Data & Stats",{"heading":60,"links":61},"Company",[62,65,68,71,74,77],{"label":63,"to":64},"Terms of Service","\u002Fservice",{"label":66,"to":67},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy",{"label":69,"to":70},"Editorial Policy","\u002Feditorial",{"label":72,"to":73},"Contact Us","\u002Fcontact",{"label":75,"to":76},"About Us","\u002Fabout",{"label":78,"to":79},"Website Disclaimer","\u002Fdisclaimer","Built for the love of sport","© SportPulse. All rights reserved.",{"title":83,"slug":84,"category":85,"badge":15,"author":86,"excerpt":87,"date":88,"readTime":89,"image":90,"imageAlt":83,"tags":91,"body":95,"_path":96},"Price Outlasts Smith in Blackpool Classic to Reach Matchplay Semi-Finals","gerwyn-price-ross-smith-world-matchplay-quarter-finals-analysis","long-reads","Marcus Wright","Gerwyn Price's clinical finishing sees off Ross Smith 16-12 in a grueling World Matchplay quarter-final, setting up a semi with Gian van Veen.","2026-07-24 22:38:33","1 min read","\u002Fimages\u002Farticles\u002Fgerwyn-price-ross-smith-world-matchplay-quarter-finals-analysis.webp",[92,93,94],"PDC","World Matchplay","Darts","## Price 16-12 Smith: Quarter-Final Settled on Doubles\n\nGerwyn 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.\n\nFinishing 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.\n\nSmith 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.\n\n## Van Veen in the Last Four\n\nPrice 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nPrice 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.","\u002Farticles\u002Fgerwyn-price-ross-smith-world-matchplay-quarter-finals-analysis",[98,99,100,101,102,103,104,105,85,106],"analysis","basketball","cricket","f1","football","general","golf","mma","tennis",[108,121,134],{"id":109,"stem":109,"path":110,"title":111,"category":85,"badge":15,"badgeType":112,"author":113,"authorRole":114,"authorInitials":115,"date":116,"readTime":117,"image":118,"imageAlt":111,"tags":119,"excerpt":120},"the-quarterback-and-his-data-driven-deity","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-quarterback-and-his-data-driven-deity","The Reluctant Playbook: Inside a Veteran's War with His AI Offensive Coordinator","category","James Chen","Senior Football Analyst","JC","2026-06-26 18:37:26","6 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002F417d3494d4112fa548c954861068720406a3e278\u002F0_0_5000_4000\u002Fmaster\u002F5000.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=b5baa91c39f20156cabace4f356f9468","NFL, Football Analytics","When a Hall of Fame-bound quarterback rebels against the algorithmic 'play-caller in his pocket,' it's a referendum on sport's soul.",{"id":122,"stem":122,"path":123,"title":124,"category":85,"badge":125,"badgeType":112,"author":126,"authorRole":127,"authorInitials":128,"date":129,"readTime":130,"image":131,"imageAlt":124,"tags":132,"excerpt":133},"tunnel-vision-rituals-world-cup-2026-elite-preparation","\u002Farticles\u002Ftunnel-vision-rituals-world-cup-2026-elite-preparation","Tunnel Vision: The Rituals Shaping World Cup 2026's Elite","Feature","Elena Rossi","SportPulse Contributor","ER","2026-07-12 01:19:04","8 min read","\u002Fimages\u002Farticles\u002Ftunnel-vision-rituals-world-cup-2026-elite-preparation.webp","World Cup, La Liga, Premier League","From Messi's timed maté to Kane's left-first kit routine, preparation rituals reveal the tactical psychology behind elite tournament performance.",{"id":135,"stem":135,"path":136,"title":137,"category":85,"badge":125,"badgeType":112,"author":126,"authorRole":127,"authorInitials":128,"date":138,"readTime":139,"image":140,"imageAlt":137,"tags":141,"excerpt":142},"deep-sea-wilderness-losing-the-touchline-before-the-whistle","\u002Farticles\u002Fdeep-sea-wilderness-losing-the-touchline-before-the-whistle","Deep Sea Wilderness: Losing The Touchline Before The Whistle","2026-06-26 05:30:59","7 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002Fb841bf8bf9671a0787e05a1ef5ef554d0382bbe3\u002F146_0_1339_1071\u002Fmaster\u002F1339.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=2beff8cf6a3690a801541950044fe13b","Environment, Science, Policy","Deep sea mining is erasing Earth's final frontier before we even map the pitch, destroying unknown ecosystems for short-term gain."]