Gerwyn Price doesn’t think the tour is pushing Luke Littler hard enough. The Welshman booked his spot in the 2026 World Matchplay semi-finals on Friday night with a 16-12 victory over Ross Smith. And he immediately issued a direct challenge to the defending champion.
Price believes too many opponents give the teenager a free pass on the stage. He explicitly stated that some players “make it too easy” for Littler to dominate. That stops this weekend. If they meet in the final, Price plans to completely derail Littler’s bid for consecutive titles.
But Price had to survive his own battle to reach Saturday’s matchups. Smith erased a 12-8 deficit to tie the game at 12-12 late in the evening. That forced Price to find another gear. He closed out the match by winning four straight legs. The run included an 11-dart break of throw. He capped it off with a 121 bullseye checkout.
This marks only the second time in Price’s career that he has reached the semi-finals at the Winter Gardens, according to recent event coverage.
He will now face Gian van Veen on Saturday. The Dutch prospect just eliminated James Wade to secure his spot on the stage.
Littler is dealing with his own bracket pressure on the other side. The teenager is scheduled to face Dirk van Duijvenbode. If your brackets are tracking the historical stakes, Littler is trying to become the first player to successfully defend the Phil Taylor Trophy since Michael van Gerwen achieved the feat in 2015.