Gerwyn Price has shared an encouraging health update, less than 24 hours after pulling out of the UK Open Pool Championship. Price, 41, took the unexpected step of withdrawing from the pool competition on Tuesday, just moments before his scheduled match against Kostiantyn Ivanov.
While no explanation was offered for Price’s withdrawal, he has been grappling with a health concern for some time and is now preparing to take on Luke Littler in the Premier League Darts play-offs on Thursday. Now, ahead of his semi-final showdown with reigning world champion Littler at London’s O2 Arena, Price has delivered a fresh health update and revealed he has received some “great” results from recent medical tests.
“Some great news today,” he said in an Instagram story. “Results back and all good… No answers to the symptoms but the results I had were good [three smiley face emojis and three flexed bicep emojis].”
Earlier this month, Price made a frank confession about his health struggle following a crushing 6-2 loss to fellow Welsh sensation Jonny Clayton on Night 14 of the Premier League in Leeds.
“My focus is there, it’s just health-wise I am not in a great place at the moment. But I am battling on and searching for some results,” said Price.
“Hopefully in the next couple of weeks they will come and they will put me at ease. Then I will be able to enjoy darts again. Frustrating times.
“Time to rely on Lady Luck and see what happens over the next two weeks. Hopefully make the play-offs, but I need a lot of luck to go my way. Hopefully see you at the O2. It’s not good playing once a week and hopefully I get the results I want in three weeks’ time.
“This year has been great in the Premier League and it’s been a great start to the season. The crowd has got me through a lot of games but sometimes things happen you can’t control.”
Since those comments, Price has staged an impressive comeback to cement his place in the play-offs.
He battled his way to the final in Birmingham on May 14, before picking up two further points in Sheffield on his most recent outing.
As a result, Price rounded off the Premier League campaign in fourth place across the 16 weeks, and will now go head-to-head with league leader Littler for a coveted spot in the final at the O2 on Thursday.
In the other semi-final, Clayton, who wrapped up second place during the regular season, faces the hottest player on the darting circuit in Luke Humphries, with a place against either Price or Littler up for grabs.