Gerwyn Price fought off an inspired comeback from Joe Cullen to reach the fourth round of the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship on Friday in an all-time classic at Alexandra Palace.
Price, seeded 10th, raced to a three-set lead over No. 23 seed Cullen, but the match would only get more interesting.
Cullen fired back in the fourth set as Price struggled with double 20 and double 10, and the Englishman made hopes of a recovery less faint when he took the fifth set, too, albeit after missing seven darts in the final leg.
Cullen went on to level the scores at 3-3 after taking the sixth set, setting up a deciding set that will live long in the memory.
The two players went blow-for-blow, with Cullen at one point missing a match dart that would have completed the improbable comeback.
However, neither player could find a two-leg lead after 10 legs. Price, still struggling on doubles, missed four match darts, only to see Cullen take out a 170 finish to send the match to a sudden death leg.
"That was tough. I just wanted to get over the winning line ... every single set he just kept coming back. He played some good darts at the right time," Price told Sky Sports.
"The crowd were well behind him, and I actually thought I was going to lose that game.
"I put myself in that position, I got myself out of it. I kept in it right till the end and thankfully got the win and I'm still in.
"I've got a lot more in the tank and I'll play a lot better than I played tonight. I done enough to win -- and I'm just happy with that."
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