UK Open 2022: Gerwyn Price the one to beat in FA Cup of darts
Darts pundits Mark Webster and Colin Lloyd both backing Gerwyn Price to retain world number one spot by winning the UK Open in Minehead.
Everything is on the line for world number one Gerwyn Price as he heads to theย UK Open in Minehead with his position on top of the rankings under threat from Peter Wright.
The world champion could have pinched top spot from the Iceman at the weekend as they faced off in the International Open final, but the Welshman held his nerve to win that title and stay top of the pile.
The FA Cup of darts
๐ฃ "๐ ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฑ ๐ต๐ถ๐บ ๐ต๐ฒ'๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ"
โ PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) February 27, 2022
Gerwyn Price says that he is proud of the way he performed under the pressure from Peter Wright as he maintains his world number one status! pic.twitter.com/0jAhPxbO3h
Despite the draw meaning big names can beย eliminated pretty early, it's usually one of the big guns that takes home the trophy, and this year world number one Price is favoured to do just that.
"Generally, when you get to the quarter-final stages and longer format I expect the usual suspects at the end. I don't think we'll get a surprise winner, some surprise results along the way definitely but for me not a surprise winner," Webster added.
Wade going under the radar
Lloyd agrees, but thinks defending champion James Wade is once again being overlooked. Wade showed he can still win the big events having lifted the UK Open last year for the third time, in a third different decade.
โ๏ธ ๐ช๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐
โ PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) March 7, 2021
A truly professional display as James Wade makes it a hat-trick of UK Open titles, completing an 11-5 win over Luke Humphries in the final!
Congratulations James! ๐คฉ pic.twitter.com/bpIthqJo7K
"He's (Price) the man to beat," said Lloyd. "But I've just got a little fancy for James Wade. He's won it three times so he's proven he can do it.
"Wadey always goes under the radar but he'll just go about his business and it won't worry him if he's on the main board or outside board. He won't be fazed by it, but people will get fazed by him because they know he's good enough.
"But the man to beat is Gezzy Price. His confidence will be through the roof and he'll fancy it. He knows his game is exactly where he wants it to be and that makes him so hard to beat."