"I can still win these tournaments" - Peter Wright feels confidence returning after comfortable opening to New Zealand Darts Masters

Peter Wright got off to the perfect start at the 2024 New Zealand Darts Masters as the Scottish two time world champion secured a whitewash 6-0 opening round victory over Daniel Snookes in Hamilton.

Wright comfortably took down the debutant in a dominant display, despite only averaging 87. In truth, it was a fairly easy win for 'Snakebite' with his opponent showing little in response, with Snookes only averaging 65, but for Wright, a win is a win. He will now face Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals on Saturday morning.

"The first three legs were okay, I was impressed with them, but then I just faded off a little bit," Wright assesses post-match in conversation with Online Darts. "Obviously, Daniel wasn't pushing me or anything, he was very nervous. The guy is actually a martial arts teacher! So if he can bring that focus from his dojo, he could be a really good player."

The fact Snookes was unable to muster any challenge actually made it more difficult for Wright in some ways. "I didn't want to switch off. I wanted to set a target for the rest of the guys but I just faded really badly so I started just thinking about getting the win," explains the Scot. "Getting the win was more important than averages or anything."

After a difficult few months, Wright has been showing some signs of life recently, winning some games and starting to build the confidence levels back up. "I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season," he says. "With a few tweaks of my darts, I think I can really push my game up a level."

"I definitely feel like I can win games now and as I say, I'm looking forward to the rest of the season. I've definitely got lots more to come which makes me a pretty dangerous wildcard in any tournament now," 'Snakebite' concludes. "I can still win these tournaments."