Wright time to bust jinx

PETER WRIGHT says learning to lose to Michael van Gerwen can help him sink the f lying Dutchman today.

Snakebite faces a semi-final showdown against the world No.1 (below) at the Grand Slam of Darts.

When Wright was defeated by van Gerwen at the World Series of Darts in Glasgow a fortnight ago, it was his ninth loss in a final to his rival who has 14 straight wins over him.

The Scottish star, however, believes he is now ready to end the hoodoo.

Wright’s quarter-final win over Phil Taylor on Friday night has fuelled his belief. He said: “You have to learn to lose before you can win. That’s the secret of this game.

“I’m sick of getting beaten by Michael, that’s for sure. I am getting closer all the time.

“It was real ly frustrating to get so close in Glasgow a couple of weeks ago. “I started slowly and that wasn’t good enough. That allowed Michael to get ahead and you just can’t do that. You’ve got to keep pressure on all the time. “But the biggest difference before the Grand Slam semi-final is that I got a day off before playing Michael. “Usually I play him in a final having played a quarter and semi-final in the same day. So I’m probably knackered. It’s a luxury to have a day off and relax and then prepare properly. “I’ve lost lots of finals but I now believe I am taking the next step. “The darts are working better this week. I’m playing better now than I did when I lost the World Championship final to Michael a few years back.”