Peter Wright’s stellar season goes from strength to strength after sensationally whitewashing defending champion Michael van Gerwen 6-0 to win the European Darts Grand Prix in Germany.
Snakebite had finally beaten MVG in a final for the first time in his career to win this season's German Darts Championship back in March following nine previous failed attempts, which included last year's final of this event, and he repeated the feat once again to pick up his third European Tour title of 2017 out of a possible four.
Kicking the final off with an 11-darter, he went on to average just under 105 and hit six of his eight attempts at doubles in a ruthless performance which included a stunning checkout from 161 to take the third leg.
Van Gerwen hit five 180s but missed all five of his shots at doubles and he must now lick his wounds ahead of the final night of the Premier League regular season, which could see him pipped by Wright in the race for the £25,000 league leaders' bonus.
The 47-year-old has now won an impressive seven tournaments overall this season, which include his maiden TV title at the UK Open. This is only two behind the tally of nine van Gerwen had managed at this same stage of his astonishing 2016 campaign, which saw him end up with 25 before bagging his second world crown.
Wright told the PDC website: "You have got to be lucky sometimes! It has taken a long time to learn how to save your best game to last, as Michael has done in the past. Luckily I am now able to do that.
"Beating Michael is always special. He wasn’t up to his normal game and missed a few doubles but I punished him. I want to be the world number one and that is what you have to do - punish mistakes."
The top two in the Premier League have comfortably been the most successful players in 2017 with six titles each, if you include the Dutchman's world championship success at the start of January, so it was little surprise to see the duo come face to face in Sindelfingen.
But while Snakebite enjoyed relatively smooth progress to the final apart from a hard-fought 6-4 triumph over Daryl Gurney in the third round, van Gerwen survived a real scare against in-form Dave Chisnall.
Chizzy has been in great form during an unbeaten run of six games in the Premier League - including draws with MVG, Wright and Gary Anderson - and he maintained the momentum this weekend by defeating Adrian Lewis en route to the semi-finals.
There, he hit five of his six attempts at doubles to edge into a 5-4 lead and although MVG then restored parity, Chisnall had more than a fighting chance at victory when returning to the oche with 100 required. Two 1s and a single 19 let his opponent back in and he made no mistake from 68 to progress.
Standing in Wright's way following his 6-2 victory over Jan Dekker was Jelle Klaasen, who had earlier nailed a 170 checkout against Joe Cullen, and he beat him (6-3) for the ninth time in a row to set up a meeting with van Gerwen.
European Darts Grand Prix: Tournament Results
All games best of 11 legs
Friday May 5
First Round
Afternoon Session
Ulf Ceder 6-2 Steve Beaton
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-4 Steve Lennon
James Richardson 6-2 Paul Rowley
Matt Clark 6-4 Rene Berndt
Rob Cross 6-3 Luke Woodhouse
Keegan Brown 6-4 Jeffrey de Graaf
Christian Kist 2-6 Jonny Clayton
Gabriel Clemens 3-6 Joe Murnan
Evening Session
Jan Dekker 6-3 James Wilson
Steve West 6-2 Chris Dobey
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 Jermaine Wattimena
Mark Webster 6-4 Bernd Roith
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-4 Mervyn King
Ron Meulenkamp 5-6 John Henderson
Stephen Bunting 2-6 Adrian Lewis
Max Hopp 6-4 Zoran Lerchbacher
Click here for full Friday review
Saturday May 6
Second Round
Afternoon Session
Alan Norris 5-6 Jan Dekker
Cristo Reyes 3-6 Ulf Ceder
Jelle Klaasen 6-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Simon Whitlock 3-6 Rob Cross
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Matt Clark
Joe Cullen 6-1 Jonny Clayton
Benito van de Pas 6-5 Joe Murnan
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Max Hopp
Evening Session
James Wade 5-6 Mark Webster
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Van den Dimitri Van den Bergh
Michael Smith 5-6 Steve West
Daryl Gurney 6-4 John Henderson
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Peter Wright 6-2 James Richardson
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Keegan Brown
Ian White 4-6 Adrian Lewis
Click here for full Saturday review
Sunday May 7
Afternoon Session
Joe Cullen 6-5 Mensur Suljovic
Jelle Klaasen 6-1 Mark Webster
Jan Dekker 6-4 Kim Huybrechts
Peter Wright 6-4 Daryl Gurney
Rob Cross 6-1 Steve West
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Adrian Lewis
Benito van de Pas 6-2 Gerwyn Price
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Ulf Ceder
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Joe Cullen 5-6 Jelle Klaasen
Jan Dekker 2-6 Peter Wright
Rob Cross 3-6 Dave Chisnall
Benito van de Pas 1-6 Michael van Gerwen
Semi-Finals
Jelle Klaasen 3-6 Peter Wright
Dave Chisnall 5-6 Michael van Gerwen
Final
Peter Wright 6-0 Michael van Gerwen
