Gerwyn Price tasted glory for a second time in three years by winning the Jack’s World Series of Darts Finals on Sunday night, denying Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode 11-10 in a thrilling final.
Price previously won the season-ending event in 2020, and backed up last month’s TAB New Zealand Darts Masters success by scooping the £70,000 World Series of Darts Finals top prize.
He was pushed all the way by home favourite Van Duijvenbode in an enthralling final, securing the title with a 14-dart leg in a dramatic ending.
A high-quality start saw the pair trade 14-darters in the opening four legs before Price broke for a 3-2 lead, and he then pinned tops to open up a two-leg cushion.
Three successive legs from Van Duijvenbode saw him move ahead again at 5-4, and he added a 12-darter as he retained the edge.
Price took out 146, 121 and 116 as he came from 7-6 down to lead 9-8 – pouncing on a miss at double 18 from Van Duijvenbode in leg 17.
The Dutchman – who had taken out 112 in leg 15 – hit back with a superb 11-darter and fired in double four to move 10-9 up, putting himself on the brink of a maiden big-stage title.
Price showed his class with a 12-darter to take the final to a deciding leg, and after being first to a finish during a tense finale, the Welshman took out 90 to seal glory.
“I’m thrilled to get over the line,” said Price, who ended the final with a 100.14 average. “Dirk played fantastic but I think I played a little bit better.
“It was a great game but I made it really difficult for myself. There were two or three legs where I missed doubles, and at five-all going into the second break I probably could have been 7-3 up.
“I knew from there on in it was going to be a tough battle; Dirk was playing really well and obviously the crowd were supporting him but I dug in there right until the end.
“I gave myself a chance in the last-leg decider and scraped over the line.”
He added: “I’m more than experienced with these sort of crowds, and fair play to them – they were all cheering for their man but I think they were quite respectful in patches.
“I let him off the hook a couple of times but I just wanted to give myself a chance in the last leg – I’ve got a little bit more composure and experience than Dirk had in that leg and that’s all that counted.”
Price earlier followed up Saturday’s narrow win over Matt Campbell with a high-quality 10-8 quarter-final win over Joe Cullen, before seeing off James Wade 11-9 in the semis.
Wade had hit back from 2-0 down in the semi-final to lead 6-5 after landing a 170 checkout amongst three 12-darters, only for Price to reel off five legs in a row on his way to victory
Van Duijvenbode’s run to a third televised final sees him qualify for November’s Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts.
June’s Dutch Darts Masters runner-up, he had battled past Haupai Puha and Gary Anderson to reach the final day of action, before surviving a missed match dart from Ryan Joyce in the penultimate leg of their quarter-final.
He then ended Jonny Clayton’s title defence with a superb 11-8 semi-final success, only to lose out narrowly to Price.
The loss for Van Duijvenbode was a repeat of the 2020 World Grand Prix final, and provided further big-game experience in his bid to claim major honours.
“I was a bit unfortunate in the last leg and he showed his class,” said Van Duijvenbode, who earned £30,000 as runner-up.
“It’s a bit frustrating because apart from that class, I could have won it in the end if I just composed myself better.”
Clayton had earlier won six of the final seven legs to defeat four-time champion Michael van Gerwen 10-7 in the last eight.
Wade was Sunday afternoon’s other quarter-final winner, finishing ten doubles from 18 attempts in a clinical 10-5 win over birthday boy Michael Smith.
2022 Jack’s World Series of Darts Finals
Sunday September 18, AFAS Live, Amsterdam
Afternoon Session
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 10-8 Joe Cullen
Dirk van Duijvenbode 10-9 Ryan Joyce
James Wade 10-5 Michael Smith
Jonny Clayton 10-7 Michael van Gerwen
Evening Session
Semi-Finals
Gerwyn Price 11-9 James Wade
Dirk van Duijvenbode 11-8 Jonny Clayton
Final
Gerwyn Price 11-10 Dirk van Duijvenbode
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