GERWYN PRICE faces a brutal World Darts Championship draw after losing to Luke Littler in the Player Championship Finals.
The pair collided in the last four in Minehead on Sunday night.
But it was Littler who booked his place in the final with an 11-8 win, going on to beat Nathan Aspinall by the same score to lift the trophy.
Price averaged 101 in a good display but it was not enough to overcome the new world No1.
And as a result, the Welshman will now be sweating over his chances at the Worlds in December.
Price will now be the ninth seed for the tournament, which means he could end up facing top seed Littler as early as the quarters at Ally Pally.
The semis include potential line-ups against Stephen Bunting or Jonny Clayton.
While Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen lie in wait for the final.
Winning last night’s final would have seen Price clinch sixth in the Order of Merit.
That would have seen him land on the opposite side of the draw and meant not facing Littler until the final at the earliest.
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A quarter-final on that side would have resulted in a potential battle against Van Gerwen or Josh Rock.
The odds were always stacked against Price, who has now lost his last seven tournament matches against Littler.
But the Welshman maintains he has no fear of the teen prodigy or former world No1 Humphries.
Price said: “You need the rub of the green to win tournaments.
“At the moments the two Lukes are having the rub of the green.
“But when that changes, will they keep winning? I don’t think so.”
