Peter Wright expects the toughest of tests at Alexandra Palace (Picture: Getty Images)
Peter Wright heads to Alexandra Palace this year hoping to become a three-time world champion, but he expects it to be a seriously rocky road for him in north London.
Snakebite goes into the event as the number four seed, but he does not think the draw has been too kind for him, right from the off against Welsh dangerman Jim Williams.
‘I did have a look to see my potential path and it’s pretty horrible,’ Wright told Metro. ‘It could be Jim Williams, then maybe Barney [Raymond van Barneveld], then you’ve got Gezzy [Price] or Gary Anderson there, potentially a Michael Smith semi-final and a Luke Humphries or Michael van Gerwen final!
‘It’s a hard path but if you want to win a tournament you’ve got to beat the best players.
‘I’m going to need ton-plus averages every game, that’s what I need to do against these opponents. That’s the level of sharpness I need to be at.’
Wright won the European Championship as recently as October, but the 53-year-old has not had a good season by his exceptionally high standards.
He knows that a number of his rivals are being tipped for Ally Pally glory ahead of him, but he is not fussed in the slightest.
‘Obviously everyone is talking about Luke Humphries, Gezzy playing well, Michael van Gerwen coming back to form, Gary Anderson hitting big averages this year.
Wright was champion at Ally Pally in 2020 and ’22 (Picture: Getty Images)
‘It’s good that they’re not talking about me. Let them talk about the rest and I’ll just sneak around the back and hopefully I’ll be up there in the final and lifting the trophy again. I’d rather it was this way round.’
The two-time world champ is not fazed by some of his below-par results this season, feeling he knows why he hasn’t been at his best for much of the campaign.
‘I’ve had some of my lowest averages, but that’s only because I’ve decided to take some time off and not go to so many tournaments.
‘I did it to see if that works, but obviously it doesn’t work for me. Normally I don’t miss any tournaments, so obvioulsy I need to still be going to as many as possible to keep my match fitness up.
‘Class is permanent, form is temporary. Don’t tell anyone but I think my class might show this year.’
Peter Wright will be putting on a show in north London (Picture: Getty Images)
Wright is confident he will show his immense quality, but just a few days before his campaign begun, he had no idea what he will be wearing on the big stage, leaving his fate in the hands of his wife.
‘Jo’s got something but I don’t know what it is yet,’ Snakebite said the week before his first match. ‘Normally I have some input, like the year I went on as the Grinch, I’ve always wanted to do that, but I’ve got no idea this year!’
Peter Wright faces Jim Williams in the evening session on Wednesday 20 December.
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‘Don’t tell anyone but I think my class might show this year.’