“INCREDIBLE” WRIGHT FACES TOUGH OPENING TEST

PETER WRIGHT is “looking incredible” but faces a tough start as he bids for a third world title at the Ally Pally. 

Former Lakeside champion Glen Durrant believes that Gary Anderson holds the best hopes of glory for Scottish darts fans.

Durrant, now a Sky Sports pundit, also reckons that Cameron Menzies faces a stiff challenge from up and coming kid and Luke Little’s pal Charlie Manby.

There have been four world titles and two World Cups for celebrate for the Scots over the past 11 years. This year Wright, Anderson, Menzies, Alan Soutar and Darren Beveridge fly the Saltire flag at the Worlds.

Durrant has been working with Wright in recent weeks in build-up to his opener against transgender star Noa-Lynn van Leuven on Monday and believes he’s capable of a big run in London. 

He said: “I’ve just spent some time with Peter and he’s still talking a good game, he still believes, he’s still tinkering away. He is looking incredible and he’s lost a lot of weight.

“When I hit rock bottom, I was like: That’s it, I’m finished. Peter’s not like that. He reminds me a bit of Devon Petersen in the sense that he still believes there’s another tournament win in him.

“He’s already worked out his draw. He’s got Noa-Lynn van Leuven in the first game. He says he’s sort of in the arena of the oldies, with Anderson and Michael van Gerwen in that section.

“So he’s already plotting his way to the quarter-finals, maybe the semis. He’s a unique character and I am a massive Peter Wright fan. However, I just get the sense that it’s going to be a really tough one for Peter.”

Durrant feels that Anderson is the best chance of Scottish glory: “His current form might not back up that answer and he says often that he’s not practising a great deal, and I believe him.

“The fact that he’s got that longevity to get to the later stages of the televised tournaments, it’s hard to square with the lack of match sharpness. But, still, he could be one of the outstanding players again.

“He’s impossible to read because he’s one of those ones where, if you ask him a question, he’s not going to give the answer that you expect to get from him.

“He will tell you, if I win my opening game, I’ll be back on the fishing lakes tomorrow. He’s intriguing, but there’s no better thrower of darts out there. He’s one of the biggest 180 hitters I’ve seen in my life.

“He’s a proven player and he goes the distance on that stage as well. There are so many things he does right and it’s just whether over the next two or three weeks, does Gary Anderson still have the fire inside him that helps him to fight hard? Does he still have that?

“Because, when you go on that stage, you never lose that competitive spirit. But these younger players who are coming through, they’re fearless.

“They’re ferocious and they want it so much. Gary Anderson is one of those players where, if he’s in form, if he’s bang-on, he can lift that trophy once again.”

Wacky Menzies takes on hot prospect Manby on Monday and that’s a hard start admits Durrant. 

On the dark horses, he said: “I like Jamai van den Herik, a young Dutch player. Charlie Manby, he’s homegrown from Huddersfield, exciting talent, just done really well on the Modus Super Series.

“Both of those are contenders, but I’m going to go with a more established player, who you will have heard of a little more. I think we’re going to see a good run from Martin Schinder. He could surprise people.

“I’ve been hearing that the German darts fans are going to be coming over in serious numbers. They say that 50 per cent of the Ally Pally crowd will be from Germany, and having that support from the crowd, and the momentum that that can give you as a player at that tournament can really help. Keep an eye on Schindler.”

Images by Taylor Lanning.