Peter Wright defeats Searle to Win Players Championship Finals
Peter “Snakebite” Wright kept cool under pressure as he defeated Ryan Searle in a thrilling deciding leg finish at the Players Championship Finals, winning 11-10.
As temperatures plummeted throughout the UK on the weekend, Snakebite had ice in his veins during the final to pin the match-winning 62 checkout, as Searle was waiting to pounce on D12.
It was Peter’s first ever appearance at the tournament’s final, which was a tight back and forth encounter, and he dramatically bust 129 in what would have been a more comfortable 11-8 win.
Searle rallied back to level at 10-10, before piling the pressure on Wright with a visit of 177 to leave 24 for the win.
However, Wright held his nerve, pinning double 16 with his last dart to pick up the final silverware before the World Championships and a cool £100,000 top prize.
"It’s the only final I’ve never played in, I enjoyed it," said Wright.
"I knew it was going to be a tough game against Ryan; it’s taken a little while for him to settle and show what he can do on TV. He’s an immense player.
"In the second half of the match I was going at Ryan’s pace and I was thinking 'I'm running out of energy here'. I took a breather and lucky enough I got through.
"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.
"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 January 3."
Earlier in the evening, Wright defeated the in-form Jonny Clayton 11-6 in the semi-finals, having defeated six-time champion Michael van Gerwen 10-6 in the quarter-finals, as the £500,000 tournament reached its climax on the final day.
A breakthrough weekend for former Worthington’s Champion of Champions winner Searle saw the Devonian edge out Daryl Gurney 10-9 in an electric quarter-final tie, before ending the charge of Brendan Dolan in the semis.
Searle's run to the final sees the 34-year-old move into the top 16 on the PDC Order of Merit for the first time.
Attention now turns to the 2021/22 World Championship, which begins on December 15 at London's Alexandra Palace.
2021 Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals
Schedule of Play
Sunday November 28
Afternoon Session
Main Stage
Quarter-Finals
Brendan Dolan 10-4 Jose de Sousa
Ryan Searle 10-9 Daryl Gurney
Peter Wright 10-6 Michael van Gerwen
Jonny Clayton 10-3 Vincent van der Voort
Evening Session
Main Stage
Semi-Finals
Ryan Searle 11-6 Brendan Dolan
Peter Wright 11-6 Jonny Clayton
Final
Peter Wright 11-10 Ryan Searle