COLIN MONK believes he must raise his game to a 105 average if he is to shock Phil Taylor in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Monk takes on the 14-time World Champion on Friday night when the 2010 World Championship kicks off at Alexandra Palace.
Taylor is the 4/11 favourite for the tournament, but world number 52 Monk is backing himself to cause an upset.
"Nobody wants to draw Phil but I've got to get on with it now," said Monk. "He's only a human being and I've got to hope things go my way and he has a bit of a stinker - but that doesn't happen much to a 14-time World Champion.
"I'm up against it but I need to raise my game and average around 104 or 105 to stand a chance. The main thing is that when he has a shot at a double that I'm on a two-dart finish and not on 167 or 200.
"I've got to be there and putting pressure on him. I've played him three times and lost but earlier this year I was 4-2 up against him and had three darts at double ten to go 5-2 up and blew it, and lost 6-4."
Monk has played in 14 previous World Championships, but is determined to erase the memory of a 3-0 first round loss to Denis Ovens two years ago at Alexandra Palace.
"That day was a nightmare and I didn't play at all well to be honest," said Monk. "Whether I win or lose against Phil I want to earn some credibility and show the fans that I can play the game.
"I want to go up there and play well, regardless of whether I win or lose."
Monk qualified for the Las Vegas Desert Classic this summer, losing to Dennis Priestley in America only weeks after the veteran ended his UK Open hopes in Bolton.
"The day I qualified I was absolutely mustard, I played really well," added Monk. "I had an early start the next day and, though it was the same for Dennis, it wasn't great preparation for me and I was disappointed that I didn't push him harder."
Monk also hit the first competitive nine-darter of his career in June in a Players Championship in Barnsley - with a set of borrowed darts!
"I hit the nine-darter but it wasn't with my own darts!" he revealed. "I borrowed Steve Maish's darts to try something new, and I banged in a nine-darter with them.
"I was playing Ray Farrell and won 6-1 and we worked out that I had legs of 13, 12, he had and 11-darter, I hit the nine-darter and then had a 13 and 14 darter in winning.
"It was a cracking game but the darts soon went wrong and I gave them back to Steve in a temper, so I'm back with my own darts now."
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