Can Peter Wright Overcome his MVG Hoodoo?

The Scot has never won a major in which the Dutchman has competed and there are few signs of him ending that lengthy wait anytime soon. The majority of players on the PDC tour understandably have a poor head-to-head record against the all-conquering Michael Van Gerwen but Peter Wright's failure to overcome the Dutchman in pivotal encounters is startling. There have been many memorable match-ups between the pair over the last couple of years and Wright has been victorious on a number of occasions but he typically struggles when it comes to the crunch. He beat MVG during a memorable semi-final in the Champions League of Darts at the end of September but then . Michael Van Gerwen has won all three encounters between the pair at the World Championship and he's also come out on top eight times when they've met in ranked majors. The world number one holds a 21-9 record in other ranking events and he continued his dominance with a at the City West Hotel in Dublin at the beginning of October. Snakebite has a record of just one major televised title in nine attempts and, once again, he wasn't able to capitalise on a golden opportunity, which should have seen him go 4-1 up. It proved to be a significant turning point in the tie and he's now lost each of his last five finals against Mighty Mike, suffering defeats in the German Darts Grand Prix, European Open and last year's Grand Slam of Darts. Wayne Mardle said that Wright "...absolutely blew a golden opportunity" before casting doubt on whether the Scot has the game or the mentality to clinch another major. With a number of tournaments still to come in 2018, Wright is likely to have the opportunity to bounce back but he has been pushed out to betting for the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace in December. He is currently 11/1, with Michael Van Gerwen priced up as the 11/10 market leader ahead of Gary Anderson and last year's winner, Rob Cross. The former electrician was a surprise victor at last year's event but has struggled to replicate that form throughout 2018. Peter Wright will be hoping for another shot at his nemesis on the biggest stage of all but he is likely to come up short yet again. The pair haven't crossed paths at the World Championship since 2014 with the Dutchman winning 7-4 to clinch the title in North London. The psychology of the sport is often a hugely underrated aspect and it's abundantly clear that Michael Van Gerwen has the mental prowess to cope with the big occasions. Peter Wright's wait for a victory over the world number one in a major continues but it's unlikely to be the last time that the pair meet at the business end of a ranking tournament.