Apart from seeing Phil Taylor defend his Players Championship crown, crowds who come to The Power's opening match at the tournament's Purfleet venue have something else to look forward to, namely a possible upset by Taylor's arch-rival Peter Manley over his foe. Of the twelve titles that defending champion Taylor has so far won at Purfleet, three of those were the result of a finals showdown with the "One Dart."
Former world championship finalist Manley will be the first man-to-beat for Taylor on Thursday night as The Power begins his quest to retain the prestigious title. "It's like a home venue for me," said Taylor of the place for the £250,000 event. "There's something special about the Circus Tavern. I love it and I love the people who run it and I'm looking forward to being back there."
The Power, who is hoping to keep his title over the weekend, said that his familiarity with the flow of the tournament shouldn't be a reason for complacency. "I have to perform over five games otherwise I'll get my backside kicked," he said.
And although he hasn't had very much time to practice since the World Championship, he is not about to walk on stage unprepared. "It's a short format in the first round," he added. "But that will suit me because I've not played competitively since the World Championship. I haven't had a lot of time to prepare properly for this but I'm going into the tournament very relaxed."
Former world championship finalist Manley will be the first man-to-beat for Taylor on Thursday night as The Power begins his quest to retain the prestigious title. "It's like a home venue for me," said Taylor of the place for the £250,000 event. "There's something special about the Circus Tavern. I love it and I love the people who run it and I'm looking forward to being back there."
The Power, who is hoping to keep his title over the weekend, said that his familiarity with the flow of the tournament shouldn't be a reason for complacency. "I have to perform over five games otherwise I'll get my backside kicked," he said.
And although he hasn't had very much time to practice since the World Championship, he is not about to walk on stage unprepared. "It's a short format in the first round," he added. "But that will suit me because I've not played competitively since the World Championship. I haven't had a lot of time to prepare properly for this but I'm going into the tournament very relaxed."
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