The battle for Welsh supremacy and a coveted spot in the World Grand Prix semi‑finals will unfold on Friday night in Leicester, where Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton are set to clash. Both players are not only top‑ranked representatives of Wales but also teammates in the World Cup of Darts, making the encounter a matter of national bragging rights as well as personal ambition.
Currently sitting at world number four, Price leads the PDC Order of Merit by a single place over Clayton, who occupies the fifth spot. A victory for Price would widen that gap and reinforce his status as the leading Welshman on the circuit.
Conversely, if Clayton manages to win, he will not only move ahead of Price in the rankings but also strengthen his case for a place in the Grand Slam of Darts later in November. A win in this match, followed by a title on Sunday, would see him overtake the so‑called "Iceman" and become Wales' top‑ranked player. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports Main Event channel from 7 p.m. on Friday.
The evening’s programme also includes Nathan Aspinall versus Ryan Joyce, Luke Humphries against Niels Zonneveld, and a showdown between Gian van Veen and James Wade. Viewers are advised to use the Chrome browser for the best video‑player experience.
Historically, Price has held a 30‑15 advantage in head‑to‑head meetings with Clayton, and he won their most recent encounter earlier this month, an 11‑7 triumph in the semi‑finals of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam. However, the tables turned in the 2021 World Grand Prix final when the 30‑year‑old Clayton dispatched the 41‑year‑old Price with a dominant 5‑1 scoreline, a result that still haunts the Welshman. Price, who alongside Clayton helped Wales capture the World Cup title in 2020 and again in 2023, acknowledged the challenge ahead: "I know how good Jonny can play, I know how bad he can play. I know how good and how bad I can play.
I just need to take my opportunities. If I can start well, score in between and put Jonny under pressure, I think I will come through but it's going to be a real tough one. It's special for Wales regardless of who wins the game. We're going to have a Welshman in the semi‑final of another massive major." Clayton responded with his characteristic humour and camaraderie: "There's banter between me and Gezzy.
Every time he gets to Welsh No 1, he sends me a flag with a No 1 on. We're good friends, world number 4 and 5. You can't fault that from Wales!" In the earlier rounds, Clayton scraped through a tight 2‑1 victory over Krzysztof Ratajski, a match Price later joked he had "got lucky" in, before unleashing a series of high‑checkout finishes exceeding 100 points, including three in the opening set, to beat the rising Dutchman Wessel Nijman 3‑1.
Price, meanwhile, has yet to lose a set in this tournament. He opened with a clean 2‑0 win over Sebastian Bialecki, then thrashed Ross Smith 3‑0, exacting a measure of revenge for his recent defeat to "Smudger" in the World Series final in the Netherlands.
The all‑Welsh encounter is part of a broader Friday schedule that also features Luke Humphries versus Niels Zonneveld, James Wade against Gian van Veen, and Nathan Aspinall taking on Ryan Joyce. Zonneveld, who has already dispatched former world champion Gary Anderson and the formidable Josh Rock, is the lowest‑ranked competitor remaining at world No. 35. Humphries, the second seed, will not underestimate the Dutchman, especially after being upset by unseeded Mike De Decker in the 2024 final.
Humphries, who is chasing a second Grand Prix crown after his 2023 triumph, said: "One thing this tournament teaches you is not to take anyone for granted. If I think because Niels is whatever ranking he is that I'm going to win the game easy, I will fail. He's playing good darts and could be the Mike De Decker story.
I will treat him with the respect I would every player, the respect he deserves." He added that winning his first major since the 2025 Premier League would be especially meaningful: "When you have experienced that achievement of winning a lot and then it all goes away for 12 months, when you get that experience of winning again it feels even sweeter. I have worked really hard over the last 12 months and not got the rewards so winning would do me good, boost my confidence. Because I'm not picking up one or two majors a year, people think you are not as good as you used to be but I feel I am playing better than ever. I still feel there is another level in me.
I'm just trying to find where that comes from." On the other side of the draw, Ryan Joyce is an unlikely contender but possesses a particular strength on double 16, a crucial factor in this double‑in, double‑out format. Joyce’s recent eight‑180 display in the quarter‑finals, where he dismantled Nathan Aspinall’s opponent Luke Woodhouse, demonstrates his scoring power. He also revealed an unconventional source of motivation: an AI chat with ChatGPT. "I think I was just bored one night, and I thought, 'I'll put ChatGPT on and say I've got a big game coming up.
Have you got any tips on how I can handle it better?' The AI gave me a list of things to do, and I realised I already do most of them. That gave me a little boost, so I'll just continue with what I'm doing.
I don't need anybody's help. I'm just going to do it myself," he explained. Aspinall, however, remains confident that Joyce’s run will end if he cannot replicate his previous scoring spree: "Joyce is unreal on his double 16 but he can't score like me – and he knows that. If I score like I did [in round two], he's not going to beat me, simple as that." Fans can follow all the quarter‑final action live on Sky Sports+ and the Sky Sports Main Event channel from 7 p.m.
on Friday, with daily coverage continuing through to the final on Sunday. For those without a contract, NOW offers a streaming option, and the latest Sky Sports deals may provide additional viewing opportunities.