Suffolk’s Peter “Snakebite” Wright lost out in the final of the PDC World Championship last night, going down 7-4 to Dutchman Michael van Gerwen at Alexandra Palace.
The Scot, who lives in Mendham, saw van Gerwen win the first four sets at the expense of just two legs, before producing a stirring fightback to win the fifth, sixth, ninth and tenth sets.
“I never give up - that’s my game. The crowd got behind me and made me play - but well done Michael,” said Wright after the match.
The Dutchman took the first set 3-1 and then the next two comprehensively, without dropping a leg.
Wright fought back and deservedly took the fifth and sixth sets as the pressure began to mount on van Gerwen.
However, in set seven, Wrught missed out on a golden chance to reduce the defecit to a single set and van Gerwen capitalised to take a 5-2 lead.
Wright, 43, then had a chance to level the next set at 2-2, with three darts for double sevem, but could not take advantage and van Gerwen moved to within one set of the title.
But “Snakebite” took the next two sets, before missing double top to make it 6-5, and van Gerwen wrapped up the match.
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