PAUL NICHOLSON is hoping to continue his run of form at the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Nicholson enjoyed a run to the semi-finals of the German Darts Championship in the final ranking event before the World Championship recently.
While he lost to Phil Taylor in the last four, Nicholson defeated world number four John Part in the event and also overcame Terry Jenkins in the quarter-finals - before drawing the Ledbury man in the first round at Alexandra Palace.
"The German Darts Championship had the last 16 onwards on stage and I love playing on stage," said Nicholson. "I love the lights and the music and playing in front of big crowds.
"I beat John Part in the last 16, which was a big result for me because the other seven players were all in the world's top eight.
"I rested up that night and was first to the venue in the morning, even before Phil Taylor, and I was in the right frame of mind and when I knew I was playing Terry I thought 'you're not going to beat me today'.
"I'd played him three times before, once in an exhibition and twice in the Super Fours event in Australia, and he'd beaten me in each those, but I knew that was going to be my day.
"I went up there and took a 6-0 lead. I kept hitting 14-darters and didn't give him much of a chance, and I'd say it was my best stage performance since May 2008 in a final in New Zealand.
"It was a great confidence boost going into this tournament."
Nicholson meets Jenkins on Monday December 21 at Alexandra Palace, having enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals on his debut in the World Championship a year ago, defeating Adrian Gray, Adrian Lewis and Dennis Priestley.
"I think I learned more in those two weeks at the World Championship than at any time in my whole life really, in terms of darts," he said.
"That was the tournament that really matured me into the player I am at the moment because I've taken the experience from that and what I've done this year and I think coming into this event that I'm a better player.
"It's all about focusing and making sure I've got the same kind of composure and steely-eyed determination I had last year.
"I'm coming into this tournament with a very mean attitude thinking that I don't want anybody to get in my way, and I play my best darts when I'm like that."
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Read an exclusive feature with Paul Nicholson in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship Programme - available at Alexandra Palace from Friday