Gerwyn Price has warned Luke Humphries and Luke Littler that his A-Game will see him regain the World crown.
The 2021 champion is endured a wretched spell and didn’t even qualify for last month’s Grand Slam. But Price believes his best will be enough to land the Ally Pally title having set-up all all-Welsh last 16 tie against Jonny Clayton. He said: “If my A-game comes I win the tournament but it’s whether my A-game is there. I don’t think it’s how good is your A game, it’s how good is your B game and C game.
“Just one tournament [can turn things around]. If I win this, I’m World Number Two. After the year I’ve had, I probably don’t deserve it, but if I win it I’m there.”
Price needed to display fighting spirit to see off Cullen and hopes to produce again when he faces his World Cup-winning partner. He said: “Hopefully I’m going to win, but both of us have come through a similar game where I think Jonny was 3-0 up and could have gone right to the wire.
“Hopefully, I can get in front of him and that doesn’t matter but we’ve both had similar games. I’m not playing Jonny and I’m playing the board. Doesn’t matter if I’m playing Jonny or Joe. We will shake hands after and the best man wins.
“I wasn’t cruising [against Cullen], but felt pretty good at three sets up. I knew Joe probably could’ve had one or two of those sets so I knew he could come back at me which he did.
“I didn’t expect things to happen like a 170 out to stay in the match. I’m just glad to get over the winning line. I didn’t even know it was the last leg, I just kept on going and he shouted game shot and match, I thought it was one more leg to go.
“Any win is good for me, not the way I’ve played but the results I’ve had this year. I haven’t played too bad but things haven’t gone my way. I didn’t think it was going to go my way halfway through that game, but, thankfully, it did.”