GERWYN Price reached the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship for the second successive year after a tense nine-set battle with Daryl Gurney.

The 35-year-old from Markham, who will become world number one if he wins the £500,000 top prize on Sunday, twice opened up two-set leads.

However, Gurney fought back to force a decider, in which he failed to get a dart at a double from 108 and Price held his nerve to advance.

"I bombed a couple of sets where I missed loads of doubles. I was very lucky," admitted Price.

"At 4-2 up I had it in the bag but at four all I had to pull it out of the bag. I was up against it. I've certainly learned a big lesson tonight. I shouldn't be complacent when I am 4-2 up.

"It must have been nerve-wracking for my wife and family to watch. Maybe I wanted it too much but I'm still in the tournament and I'm going to give it my all."

South Wales Argus:

Gurney opened the match with a 180 but finishes of 64 and 108 helped Price take the first set by three legs to one.

The Welshman doubled his lead by taking three unanswered legs in set two, but Gurney responded with checkouts of 73 and 75 to win the third set by two legs.

He then made it two sets apiece but was punished for missed doubles as Price landed a brilliant 143 checkout to win the fifth set 3-1 and regain the lead.

Gurney was again made to pay when he missed a dart at tops for the sixth set, as Price took out 72 to restore a two-set cushion.

The Northern Irish ace refused to go quietly, though, and clinched six successive legs to take the match into a deciding set.

Price took out 107 in the decider, while Gurney replied with a 130 finish as the match went down a last-leg shoot-out, which the Welsh ace claimed by landing tops.

He will face Stephen Bunting in the last four while the other semi-final is between two-time winner Gary Anderson and Dave Chisnall, who enjoyed a shock 5-0 win against world number one Michael Van Gerwen.