𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Gerwyn Price was involved in a heated exchange with opponent Daryl Gurney after the Welshman sealed a 10-7 win in their World Matchplay first round clash in Blackpool.

The pair shared a robust handshake after Price closed out the win on double 12 before Gurney appeared to take issue with his rival’s celebrations on stage.

Gurney had fallen 6-2 behind but gave himself hope by winning the ninth leg and celebrated by mimicking Price’s trademark fist-pumping.

The Northern Irishman moved within one dart of levelling the match at 8-8 before Price, the 2022 finalist, held his nerve to pull away and seal victory.

Gurney’s compatriot Josh Rock – with whom he won the World Cup of Darts last month – fared better as he blazed to a 10-5 win over 14th seed Ross Smith.

Rock reeled off the first five legs without giving his opponent sight of a double, and the 24-year-old finished off with a 104 average to gain revenge for last year’s first round loss to the same player.

Rock will next face Michael van Gerwen, who was far from his best as he completed a gruelling 10-6 win over his veteran Dutch rival Raymond van Barneveld.

Van Gerwen, a three-time winner, capitalised on a series of missed chances by his opponent and conceded he took little satisfaction from his performance.

“I made it so difficult for myself and when you make it difficult it’s a hard game,” Van Gerwen told Sky Sports.

“From the position I’m coming from, I didn’t play a lot of tournaments, and that makes it hard. We all know I’m a winner, I hate losing, and I think it’s the start of something nice.”

In the opening match of the third day of the tournament, sixth seed Chris Dobey pulled away to complete a 10-5 win over Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko.