Wright delivers at the double as he adds Palace title to his haul
THE closest World Championship final in years saw Peter Wright fulfil his prophecy of a darting double as the eccentric Scotsman secured his second Alexandra Palace title last night.
Two weeks before July’s World Matchplay in Blackpool, Wright predicted he would win that tournament and this one. The 51-yearold beat Michael Smith 7-5 to ensure that his prediction came true — taking home £500,000 with the Sid Waddell trophy, which he also won in 2020.
Proof that these players were feeling the pressure was evident early on — with the second leg of this final requiring a remarkable 28 darts for Smith to finally clinch it on double one.
Wright seemed to complain about a breeze on stage afterwards, although that was perhaps an attempt at saving face.
Inevitably, social media joked that Sky Sports was accidentally showing the BDO final. Standards improved, thankfully, with Wright taking the opening two sets, the second by striking bullseye.
Smith needed to up his game and he did, taking out 167 en route to sealing the third set. The 180s were now flowing from the 31-year-old, who obliterated Gary Anderson’s previous World Championship record of 71 maximums at the 2017 tournament, and it became 2-2.
After seeing his two-set lead wiped out, Wright changed his darts, deciding the ones he was using weren’t working. He proceeded to take the fifth set, but Smith took the sixth for 3-3.
The younger finalist then whitewashed his elder in the seventh set for a 4-3 lead. Wright still wasn’t happy with his darts — even switching to a new set mid-leg — but levelled it up at 4-4.
At 5-5, Wright showed his experience. He led 6-5, then won the match with double 16.