Gerwyn Price took to Instagram following his European Championship semi-final defeat to Ross Smith in Dortmund on Sunday night, after the Welshman's bid to reach a fourth consecutive PDC Premier Event final came to an end.

"I['d] have lost in the final anyway," Price wrote on his Instagram Story, accompanied by a laughing emoji. "Onto the next. Great weekend for me again. Back to farming tomoz," he added, finishing with a grimacing emoji.

Price had finished runner-up at each of the previous three PDC Premier Events, losing to Luke Littler at the World Matchplay, Smith at the World Series of Darts Finals and Luke Humphries at the World Grand Prix.

Price's wait for another major title goes on after semi-final heartbreak in Dortmund

Three major finals, three near misses

The sequence began at July's World Matchplay, where Littler defeated Price 18-9 in Blackpool. September brought another disappointment, this time an 11-5 defeat against Smith in the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, before Humphries overturned a 3-0 deficit in the World Grand Prix final earlier this month to deny Price once again.

His latest European Championship campaign had offered another opportunity to end that sequence. Victories over Rob Cross, Cameron Menzies and Stephen Bunting carried Price into the semi-finals, where he raced into a 4-1 lead against Smith.

The Englishman fought back through some heavy scoring, however, and eventually moved 10-6 ahead. Price briefly kept the contest alive, but a chaotic final leg saw both players squander opportunities before Smith finally pinned double two to complete an 11-7 victory.

There was an additional twist to the result given the pair's meetings throughout 2026. Price had beaten Smith to win April's European Darts Grand Prix and also eliminated him from the World Matchplay in July, only for Smith to take revenge in the Amsterdam final before prevailing again in Dortmund.

For all the frustration of another near miss, Price's run to the semi-finals continued a sustained spell of deep performances in PDC majors, even if the trophies have proved elusive. His three successive Premier Event final appearances may have ended, but another opportunity to challenge for one of the sport's biggest prizes is unlikely to be far from his thoughts.

His immediate plans, however, are rather different. With the European Championship behind him, Price will be back on the farm on Monday.