Welsh darts star Gerwyn Price is closing in on the biggest moment of his career - and a chance to win half a million pounds.
Price faces Peter Wright in the PDC World Darts Championship semi-final on Monday night, but is not expecting an ill-tempered clash after some recent tense exchanges with rivals.
The former Neath, Cross Keys and Glasgow Warriors hooker, nicknamed 'The Iceman', was involved in a frosty encounter with Simon Whitlock on Saturday night and put in a below-par performance in beating the Australian 4-2 at Alexandra Palace.
He accused Whitlock of "pathetic" slow play but put the wobbles to one side on Sunday night to batter current BDO world champion Glen Durrant 5-1.
In reaching the semi-finals and guaranteeing himself a £100,000 pay-day, two-times Grand Slam champion Price has already surpassed his previous best at the PDC World Championship when reaching the last 32 back in 2018.
And with £200,000 going to the winner on Monday night and a shot at the £500,000 first prize, 34-year-old Price is not anticipating any slow play antics from world number five Wright.
Despite being friends with Wright, the Scotsman had predicted Durrant would upset the Welshman in their last-eight meeting.
"I played decent and was clinical when it mattered - Glen outplayed me early on but I hung in there and took the doubles I needed," said Price. "Peter thought I was going to lose 5-2, so now I'm going to smash him 6-0!
"Actually I get on with him brilliantly, I think he was just trying to get in my head.
"It doesn’t really matter what Peter does, I’m the one throwing the darts and when I get to the oche hopefully I can just control myself.
"If he needs to slow his game down to improve his game he might do it, but I don’t think he’ll do it to put me off."
If Price could beat Wright he would become the first Welshman to reach the final of the PDC World Championship in its 26-year history.
Wales have had just three world champions in the BDO tournament with Leighton Rees winning the inaugural event in 1978 followed by Richie Burnett (1995) and Mark Webster (2008).
