Gerwyn Price boosted his hopes of BetMGM Premier League Play-Off qualification with victory on a thrilling night of action in Liverpool.
Price produced a trio of sparkling displays to triumph on Night 12 at the M&S Bank Arena, defeating Chris Dobey, Rob Cross and Luke Humphries to clinch his third nightly win of the campaign.
The Welshman registered averages of 106, 105 and 104 across the evening to secure a maximum five-point haul on Merseyside, which saw him establish a three-point buffer in third position.
“I’m playing really well, so fingers crossed this year could be my year,” claimed 2023 runner-up Price.
“I was under pressure to win my first game tonight and get some vital points on the board.
“I thought I played well in the first game, but after that I settled down a little bit and enjoyed myself, and it was a cracking game against Luke.
“I just want to make the top four. It doesn’t matter if I’m first, second, third or fourth, as long as I’m at The O2 in a few weeks. That’s my priority.
“This eases the pressure on me going into next week, and when there’s no pressure on me, I’ll play some good darts!”
Price powered through to the Night 12 showpiece with a brace of 6-2 wins against Dobey and Cross, but he found himself 2-1 adrift against Humphries, despite a rip-roaring start.
The world number one followed up a double-double 94 finish with a magnificent 155 finish to seize the early initiative, but Price replied with a 151 combination of his own to level at three apiece.
The 40-year-old then capitalised on crucial missed doubles from Humphries in leg seven to secure an advantage he would never relinquish, wrapping up a 6-4 success with a 13-darter on tops.
Price is now six points adrift of Humphries in second spot, after the world number one overcame Nathan Aspinall and Michael van Gerwen to progress to his sixth nightly final of the season.
Humphries averaged 113 to defeat Aspinall in an exhilarating contest to kick off the night, before punishing a profligate display from Van Gerwen to progress through a gruelling semi-final.
Earlier in the night, Van Gerwen launched a stunning fightback to edge out reigning champion Luke Littler, overturning 4-0 and 5-3 deficits to cut Littler’s lead at the top of the table to four points.
The evening’s other quarter-final tie saw Cross run out a comprehensive 6-1 winner against Stephen Bunting, who was denied a dream homecoming on his Liverpool return.