Gerwyn Price zal geen extra druk voelen die hoort bij de verwachtingen als nummer één geplaatste in de Unibet Premier League 2021.
Price stapt zijn vierde Premier League seizoen binnen als de beste speler van de wereld. Hij zal gaan proberen om voor het eerst de Play-Offs te halen nadat hij eerder al twee keer als vijfde eindigde in de League Table.
Nadat Price in januari het WK won was zijn route van amateur naar nummer één in de wereld compleet. Hij deed dit in slechts zeven jaar.
PRICE: "I hope I can carry this baton as well as Michael has. I want to go out and enjoy myself; I've done what I wanted to do but I want to pick up more trophies.
It's a big effort and to be number one over two years, with the standard of darts as it is now, is crazy - unbelievable.
I think it's even more difficult than winning the World Championship to become world number one, but knowing how big the prize money is when you win the World Championship then you've obviously got a chance to become world number one.
It wasn't something that I thought would be possible when I first started, but those dreams that I started dreaming - possibly 12 months ago when I knew it was a reality I could reach number one and I could win the World Championship - have come true.
I won the World Grand Prix and a few other events and I knew that Michael was defending £500,000 at the end of the year, so I knew that it was possible."
Prices eerste wedstrijd in de Premier League van dit jaar zal zijn tegen Gary Anderson, in een herhaling van de laatste WK-finale.
Price produceerde één van de meest overtuigende wedstrijden ooit in een WK-finale voor een groot gedeelte van die wedstrijd, maar moest terugkomen nadat hij een dozijn wedstrijdpijlen miste. Zijn dertiende wedstrijdpijl bezorgde hem uiteindelijk de Sid Waddell Trophy.
PRICE: "I've never felt pressure like it before - I've won other majors before, but my arm went to jelly!
It was tough to get over the winning line for the first time but I've experienced it now.
I'd never been in that situation and didn't know how to deal with it. All day I was fine but an hour before, the nerves started kicking in.
Once I won my first set, I was happy. Gary could possibly have been two sets up and it would have been a totally different game, but I don't think I was ever behind and I was putting Gary under a lot of pressure and felt really comfortable.
At the end, my emotions were everywhere. I bombed a lot of opportunities but I'm glad that Gary gave me another opportunity and I got that double five in the end."
Unibet Premier League 2021
Avond 1 - Maandag 5 april
Nathan Aspinall v Glen Durrant
Rob Cross v José de Sousa
Peter Wright v Jonny Clayton
Gerwyn Price v Gary Anderson
Michael van Gerwen v Dimitri van den Bergh
Avond 2 - Dinsdag 6 april
Gary Anderson v José de Sousa
Jonny Clayton v Glen Durrant
Dimitri van den Bergh v Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen v Peter Wright
Gerwyn Price v Rob Cross
Avond 3 - Woensdag 7 april
Rob Cross v Michael van Gerwen
Glen Durrant v Dimitri van den Bergh
Peter Wright v Gary Anderson
Nathan Aspinall v Gerwyn Price
José de Sousa v Jonny Clayton
Avond 4 - Donderdag 8 april
Dimitri van den Bergh v Peter Wright
Jonny Clayton v Rob Cross
José de Sousa v Nathan Aspinall
Gerwyn Price v Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson v Glen Durrant
Avond 5 - Vrijdag 9 april
Gary Anderson v Jonny Clayton
Peter Wright v Rob Cross
Michael van Gerwen v Nathan Aspinall
Gerwyn Price v Glen Durrant
Dimitri van den Bergh v José de Sousa
© Foto: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)