Price admits he has learnt to brush away defeat setbacks

GERWYN PRICE insists he has found a key ability to brush away painful losses.

The former World Champion produced a sizzling display to knock two-time winner Rob Cross out of the European Championship Finals.

Price progressed into the last 16 for the first time in three years in some style with a 6-2 victory and is now amongst the favourites to win the title in Dortmund.

The Iceman came agonisingly close to winning the World Grand Prix last month before he was defeated in an epic Final by Luke Humphries.

Price was 3-0 up and set to seal a superb tournament's work until he was halted by Cool Hand, who came through 6-4 in the end.

But the Welsh star proved against Cross that he's put that disappointment to bed quickly and reflected: "Yeah, I played fantastic in that game. Luke played brilliant himself to come back into the game, I think the fourth set, where he hit a 180 and a 105 out, I think, and then gets it back to 3-1. But even after that, I should have won the set to go 5-4 up and the game is in my control, but Luke's Luke.

"The Lukes are Lukes. They play well at the right time.I sort of slipped off and gave him opportunities and he took them.

"Years ago, I would dwell on it for days. But, you know, 30, 40 minutes, an hour later now, I'm just thinking: Well, it's another game, it's gone. The amount of PDC events we have these days, you haven't got time to think. So, you know, just brush it out under the carpet, move on and, hopefully, play better next time."

Price was in top form against Cross, with a 99.26 average and a checkout average over 42 per cent. He added: "I felt like I was struggling in the game, but then when I came off, I looked back at the screen as you come down the stairs and I averaged nearly a ton. Sometimes I need to stop being too harsh on myself."