Ross Smith wins maiden World Series of Darts Finals title with victory over Gerwyn Price

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smith-ross/l8mIsYNm/"]Smith[/a] averaged 103.89 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/darts/price-g-8dDDoW0B/smith-r-l8mIsYNm/summary/stats/?mid=0z0z588t"]in the final[/a] and landed 11 maximums, form that made him the sixth different winner of the event since it began in 2015.[/p][p]It was also his first major since the 2022 European Championship, a four-year gap closed with one of the cleaner finishing displays of his run so far.[/p][p]The final was closer than the scoreline suggests. Smith scored heavily from the start, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/price-gerwyn/8dDDoW0B/"]Price[/a] kept pace and levelled at 5-5 courtesy of an 11-darter, although that was as good as it got for the Welshman.[/p][embed guid="0f9e914b-c23f-462a-957f-e016123e8c28" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2101769035599819080" social-type="twitter" /][p]Smith answered with back-to-back checkouts of 123 and 127, and those two visits triggered six legs on the spin. He went from 5-5 to 11-5, sealing the win with a 14-dart break of throw.[/p][p][b]"I'm absolutely made up with the win, I'm just so happy," [/b]Smith told the PDC afterwards.[/p][p][b]"You're playing Gerwyn Price, he's one of the best players in the world. You've got to up your game, so to beat this man, wow.[/b][/p][p][b]"Since the World Series, on the Euro Tour, everything has clicked. Sometimes you need a kick up the backside, and maybe that's what's done it."[/b][/p][p]His route to the title carried the same weight of scoring.[/p][p]Smith saw off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doets-kevin/I14LCcyQ/"]Kevin Doets[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gurney-daryl/UBbHHv2p/"]Daryl Gurney[/a] to reach the closing day, then beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rock-josh/xKxxNY1P/"]Josh Rock[/a] 10-7 in the quarter-finals before ending home favourite [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-veen-gian/jgT1AT29/"]Gian van Veen[/a]'s tournament 11-8 in the last four. [/p][embed guid="6cdbff47-3814-4220-a0f3-6cced90516e0" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2101768253240463546" social-type="twitter" /][p]Seven 180s and two ton-plus finishes carried him through that semi-final, and into only the second major final of a career he has won both times he has reached one.[/p][p]Price was chasing a third World Series Finals crown, having won the event in 2020 and 2022, and for three days he looked capable of it.[/p][p]The Iceman barely missed a double against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/klinge-brody/UoZMGUEF/"]Brody Klinge[/a] on Friday, dispatched Canada's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/long-jim/ENiPRh9J/"]Jim Long[/a] with little fuss, then produced a 103.86 average and a 170 finish to beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wade-james/MRrXjBAB/"]James Wade[/a], closing that match with four legs in a row.[/p][p]An 11-7 win over close friend [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clayton-jonny/tx0y2xRD/"]Jonny Clayton[/a], wrapped up at an average north of 104, booked his place in the final. [/p][h2]'I was rubbish'[/h2][p][b]"I was absolutely rubbish in that final, but don't take anything away from Ross, he was brilliant," [/b]Price said.[/p][p][b]"He took his opportunities and some big checkouts at the right time. But I'm very disappointed.[/b][/p][p][b]"I'm playing some good darts and earning some good money. I'm absolutely gutted today, but I'm doing well - I think I'll be fine!"[/b][/p][p]The day's other headline belonged to the man Smith beat in the semis and the man Price beat in his.[/p][p]Clayton was responsible for the tournament's biggest shock earlier on Sunday, thrashing [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/littler-luke/0URN6Xks/"]Luke Littler[/a] 10-4 in the quarter-finals to end the teenager's bid for a clean sweep of 2026's World Series events. [/p][embed guid="f4c5e6b2-580b-4869-b689-39fe305a2067" url="https://x.com/OfficialPDC/status/2101689231202463911" social-type="twitter" /][p]The defeat was Littler's first at a Premier event in 330 days, and it arrived on an afternoon when the 19-year-old could not find his range. Van Veen, meanwhile, edged Dutch compatriot [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-duijvenbode-dirk/fVUrttSI/"]Dirk van Duijvenbode[/a] 10-8 in the last eight, reeling off four straight legs including a 12-dart hold and a 124 finish on the bullseye.[/p][p]For Smith, none of the noise around Littler or the near misses from Price much matters. He arrived in Amsterdam in the best run of his life and left it a two-time major champion.[/p][h2]Finals Day results[/h2][p][b]Quarter-finals:[/b][/p][p]Ross Smith 10-7 Josh Rock[/p][p]Gian van Veen 10-8 Dirk van Duijvenbode[/p][p]Gerwyn Price 10-7 James Wade[/p][p]Jonny Clayton 10-4 Luke Littler[/p][p][b]Semi-finals: [/b][/p][p]Ross Smith 11-8 Gian van Veen [/p][p]Gerwyn Price 11-7 Jonny Clayton[/p][p][b]Final: [/b][/p][p]Ross Smith 11-5 Gerwyn Price[/p]