Peter Wright landed his first European Tour title of the year with a comeback victory over Luke Littler in Germany. Scotland's Wright, 54, was 4-1 down after the early stages of the German Darts Championship final in Hildesheim on Sunday night. He secured the win by an 8-5 margin thanks to six consecutive legs, despite 10 180s from his 17-year-old opponent who was looking for his third win of the season in the European series. Asked how he kept up with Littler, who was averaging around 15 points more than him throughout the final, Wright said: "I just believed in myself.
"Obviously he's a fantastic darts player and he was blowing me off the darts board [in the beginning]. I thought if I could keep with him then I knew I had a chance.
"He gave me lots of chances."
Littler made the final thanks to a dominant 7-2 win that saw him land eight 180s to beat Daryl Gurney in their semi-final. Wright overcame Dave Chisnall 7-5 in his semi-final.
Wright's victory was made even more remarkable given the circumstances. He trailed 5-2 before reeling off six straight legs to turn the match on its head. Wright's revival was sparked by a 146 finish in the eighth leg. Littler, who was seeking his third European Tour title this year following victories in the Belgian Open and Austrian Open, could not respond.
Littler's run to the final was remarkable in its own right. He had beaten Ryan Searle in the third round, overcome Damon Heta and Daryl Gurney in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively to reach the final. However, his emotional moment came after the match and as he left the stage in tears, sharing a touching tribute to a friend who had lost their father.
"I have got to give a massive shout out to my friend Ellis," said 'The Nuke' after being beaten 8-5 by 'Snakebite'. "He lost his dad. I've known him since I was three or four." Littler's opponent, Wright, offered him comfort following the emotional outburst on stage. Littler later went on to share his feelings on Instagram after his defeat. "Not looking for sympathy or anything I was just trying to say how my best mate has lost his dad at such a young age," Littler later wrote on Instagram. "I've known Ellis since we was both 3, 4 and it's been on my mind all week. [He's] the strongest lad I know and I just couldn't get the job done as I would [have] liked."
Wright, who lost form earlier this year and struggled in the Premier League especially, knocked out Michael van Gerwen on his way to the final. He toppled Van Gerwen 6-4, then edged out semi-final opponent Dave Chisnall 7-5. He now holds the record for the most European Tour titles, having won nine, a record only bettered by Michael van Gerwen.
After his emotional show of support for his friend, Littler returned to his usual, cheerful self when reflecting on Wright's victory. "Fair play to Peter he’s played well all weekend and so have I," Littler said (per Oche180) after averaging higher than his opponent but still losing. "But I’ve got to take it on the chin."
The German Darts Championship final will be remembered for Wright's incredible fightback, but also for the compassion and empathy shown by Littler. Despite a tough loss, he proved that friendship and support go beyond the competitive nature of the game.
