Welsh bragging rights and a place in the World Grand Prix semi-finals will be up for grabs when Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton meet in Leicester on Friday night. World No 4 Price is one spot ahead of Clayton in the PDC Order of Merit and will extend his lead over his compatriot - and World Cup of Darts partner - if he wins their game. However, if Clayton, battling to qualify for the Grand Slam of Darts in November, is victorious, and then goes on to lift the title on Sunday, he will usurp the Iceman as Wales' top-ranked player.
Live on Sky Sports+ and Sky Sports Main Event from 7pm on Friday Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Price leads the pair's head-to-head 30-15 and won their last meeting earlier this month - an 11-7 success in the semi-finals of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam. But the 41-year-old was "smashed up", to use his words, by The Ferret in the World Grand Prix final in 2021, with Clayton romping to a 5-1 success. Price, who picked up the World Cup title with Clayton in 2020 and 2023, said: "I know how good Jonny can play, I know how bad he can play.
I know how good and how bad I can play. "I just need to take my opportunities. If I can start well, score in between and put Jonny under pressure, I think I will come through but it's going to be a real tough one.
"It's special for Wales regardless of who wins the game. We're going to have a Welshman in the semi-final of another massive major." Clayton added: "There's banter between me and Gezzy. Every time he gets to Welsh No 1, he sends me a flag with a No 1 on.
We're good friends, world number 4 and 5. You can't fault that from Wales!" Clayton scrapped through his first-round match against Krzysztof Ratajski 2-1 - Price joking that his countryman got "lucky" - but then slammed in four-ton plus finishes, including three in the first set, as he saw off the improving Wessel Nijman 3-1. Price is yet to drop a set in the tournament, first sweeping past Sebastian Bialecki 2-0 and then thumping Ross Smith 3-0 as he gained revenge for his defeat to 'Smudger' in the recent World Series of Darts final in the Netherlands.
The all-Cymru clash between Price and Clayton is joined on Friday's schedule by Luke Humphries versus Niels Zonneveld, James Wade vs Gian van Veen and Nathan Aspinall vs Ryan Joyce. Zonneveld, who has dumped out Josh Rock and Gary Anderson, is the lowest-ranked player left in the event at world No 35 but second seed Humphries will not be overlooking the Dutchman, especially after being upset by the unseeded Mike De Decker in the 2024 final. Humphries, eyeing a second Grand Prix title after victory in 2023 said: "One thing this tournament teaches you is not to take anyone for granted.
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