WRIGHT IS JOYOUS IN JENA - German Darts Open
Peter Wright claimed his first success on the Euro Tour in 2022 after beating Dimitri van den Bergh 8-6 in the Final of the German Darts Open in Jena. After losing in his opening match last week on his return from surgery, the reigning World Champion sent out a message to the darting world letting it be known that he is well and truly back.
Four darts were missed in the Final from the Livingston born thrower against his good mate Dimitri who recently switched darts manufacturers after signing for Target Darts. Both players hit two maximums with the former World Number 1 including a 160 checkout in the fourth leg to level at 2-2 having won his first leg with a Shanghai finish after going 1-0 down to the Dream Maker.
The Scotsman started the day with a daunting task of facing recent New South Wales Darts Masters champion Jonny Clayton, who he beat to win the opening night of this year’s Premier League in Cardiff.
Snakebite included four maximums and a 98.08 average in winning 6-3 against the Ferret, despite his opponent finding the highest checkout on the oche in the fourth leg to level at 2-2. The 2021 Masters champion found a 106 finish to hold but crucially lost throw in the sixth leg, as the World Number 2 finished 85 for a 4-2 lead and his highest checkout of the match.
The Red Dragon star went on to beat Ross Smith who narrowly missed out on qualifying for this year’s World Matchplay, as Wright recorded a 6-2 victory over the Englishman, missing seven darts at double and averaging 100.85 in Germany.
Last week’s Hungarian Darts Trophy winner Joe Cullen was to be the 52-year old’s Semi Final opponent and its safe to say he saved his best darts for the Rockstar. The Englishman edged him out of a winner takes all match in Newcastle back in May for a spot at Finals night in the Premier League in Berlin, hitting six for six on double sixteen.
However, revenge was on the cards in Jena as the reigning World Champion would average 101.71 and include five maximums in a 7-4 victory over the recent Masters champion.
Cullen would include a 135 finish in the seventh leg to reduce the deficit to one leg, trailing the 2021 Matchplay Champion by a point only to be broken himself in the eleventh leg, with Wright finding his highest finish of 89 to reach the Final. Only four darts were missed on the outer ring in the tungsten tussle indicating the ruthlessness of the World Number 2’s performance.
World Number 1 Gerwyn Price returned to action over the weekend having pulled out of the Hungarian Darts Trophy last week, losing in the Quarter Finals to Jose de Sousa 6-5 despite averaging in triple figures on the oche.
The Iceman beat Martin Schindler in a repeat of their First-Round encounter at this year’s World Matchplay, winning 6-1 and averaging 106.13 to beat the hometown hero including a 140 checkout and just one missed dart at double.
Next week sees the Jack’s World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam with Jonny Clayton the reigning champion of the event. World Number 1/2 Peter Wright and Gerwyn Price will also travel to Holland in good form, as well as Michael van Gerwen who has already picked up the Premier League, World Matchplay and the Queensland Darts Masters in 2022.
By Harry Masterson
2022 German Darts Open Results
Last 16:
Luke Humphries (1) 6-3 Dave Chisnall
Joe Cullen (9) 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Peter Wright (4) 6-3 Jonny Clayton (13)
Ross Smith 6-3 Damon Heta (5)
Gerwyn Price (2) 6-1 Martin Schindler (15)
Jose de Sousa (10) 6-3 Steve Beaton
Krzysztof Ratajski (14) 6-5 Rob Cross (3)
Dimitri van den Bergh (11) 6-5 Luke Woodhouse
Quarter Finals:
Joe Cullen (9) 6-5 Luke Humphries (1)
Peter Wright (4) 6-2 Ross Smith
Jose de Sousa (10) 6-5 Gerwyn Price (2)
Dimitri van den Bergh (11) 6-3 Krzysztof Ratajski (14)
Semi Finals:
Peter Wright (4) 7-4 Joe Cullen (9)
Dimitri van den Bergh (11) 7-3 Jose de Sousa (10)
Final:
Peter Wright (4) 8-6 Dimitri van den Bergh (11)