Relief: Gerwyn Price eventually got past Luke Woodhouse at the World Darts Championship on Monday
(Picture: Getty Images)World no1 Gerwyn Price had to recover from an early scare to book his place in the third round of the World Darts Championship on Monday night.
The 2021 champion had been expected to ease past Luke Woodhouse but his opponent won the opening set with an three-dart average of 104.
The second set went to a decider and Price held his cool for an 83 checkout. It steadied the nerves for the Welshman, who won six of the next seven legs for a 3-1 victory and his place in the next round.
But it was far from a vintage performance as he managed an average of just 92 and hit only a third of his attempts at doubles.
“I put myself under a lot of pressure,” said Price afterwards. “I’m defending a lot of ranking points and I really needed to get through this game.
“Regardless of the performance, I’m glad I came through that because I’m sure I will improve throughout the rest of the tournament.
“I was really nervous and I wanted to have a good start. Sometimes you try too hard and, towards the end of the game, I began to play a little bit better.”
