Peter Wright (2022 World Championship outright – Wright 6/1, Searle 33/1) is confident he will regain his World Darts Championship crown after beating Ryan Searle 11-10 in a thrilling Players Championship Finals on Sunday.
The world number two had to show bottle and composure after he was put under immense pressure by ‘Heavy Metal’, who was appearing in a major TV final for the first time.
Searle – now ranked 15 in the world – took the match to a last leg decider and a magnificent 177 left him with 24 as Wright sat on 62.
However, the 51-year-old showcased all his experience to pin double 16 and claim the title – his second major of the year after winning the Matchplay in July.
Wright has been unwavering in his belief that he will win a second World Championship at Alexandra Palace and the Scot has not changed his mind.
“The guys who normally do well in this tournament do okay in the next one so it’s nice to do well in this one,” said ‘Snakebite’.
“Obviously, I’ve got to back my big mouth up because I said I’m going to win the Worlds, so I’ve got to get back on the practice board and make sure I’m sharp. I believe I will be World Champion come 3 January.”
The draw for the World Championship will be made on Monday evening once the full 96-player field is finalised.
Wright will be hoping to reclaim the title from world number one Gerwyn Price, who defeated Gary Anderson in 2021’s behind-closed-doors final.
Price (7/2F) arrives into the tournament fresh from a third Grand Slam win in Wolverhampton and will be expected to challenge.
Michael van Gerwen (9/2) heads to the Christmas tournament with plenty to prove after going the whole of 2021 without picking up a ranking TV title – the first time that has happened since 2011.
Jonny Clayton (13/2), who has enjoyed a sensational year with no fewer than four televised titles – including the Premier League and Grand Prix – is the eighth seed meaning a quarter-final clash with compatriot Price is a possibility.
2018 World Champion Rob Cross (25/1) will be hoping for a second title while veteran world number four James Wade (50/1) will hope to finally break his duck and land the sport’s biggest prize.
Ex-PDC World Champions Anderson, Adrian Lewis, and Raymond van Barneveld (Anderson 40/1, Lewis 125/1, Van Barneveld 150/1) are also part of a star-studded field.
The top 32 in the world rankings are entered into the second round with the rest battling it out in round one.
The most notable first-round participant is Fallon Sherrock (200/1) whose profile rose further after her run to the quarter-finals in the Grand Slam.
The tournament begins on December 15 with the final taking place on January 3.
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