PHIL TAYLOR returns to action on Thursday as he faces former World Youth Champion Keegan Brown in the last 16 of the William Hill World Darts Championship.
Legendary 57-year-old still hopes to end his incredible career by winning his 17th World Championship title on New Year's Day and he insists: "This is definitely the last time for me."
Taylor has mixed emotions heading into his final matches in the tournament, as he's certainly ready to call it a day but that competitive fire is still burning.
"Even though I'm really looking forward to finishing after this I still want to win it, but I'm not playing well enough to win it," Taylor said, despite dropping just one set in defeating Chris Dobey and Justin Pipe.
"Keegan Brown is a young lad, he's got 20 years on me so I've just got to be fresh, have plenty of energy, try to play him at his own game and just beat him."
If Taylor is chasing a fairytale ending to his career, for Brown it is a fairytale just to be playing one of his heroes on the biggest darting stage of all.
"I'm very happy to get into the last 16 and words can't describe what it will be like to play Phil," said the Isle of Wight ace.
"I've read his autobiography about 20 million times over. As a kid all you saw was Phil Taylor, playing and winning."
Two-time champion Gary Anderson resumes his bid for a third title and fourth straight final when he plays Steve West - with his opponent warning all the pressure will be on the Scot.
"There's no pressure on me, it's all on him," said West. "I'm a nobody, but I've beaten Gary before, who says I can't do that again.
"Up on that stage Gary rules the roost. We know that, but I'm not going to worry about that - I'm just going to play my game and enjoy it."
West's route to a third round appearance has been tough, with the Essex thrower needing a hip replacement operation in recent years before making his mark over the past 18 months.
"I had my hip operation and I have to have sinus operation in January," said West. "I couldn't put the hip operation off any more and with my sinuses I feel like I've got a cold all the time, and I need to do something about it.
"I've been through a divorce too and this makes it all worthwhile. I know now that I can go back to my kids and give them what I need. I was sitting on the edge for a long time, but I look to the future and my future's bright."
Darren Webster knocked Simon Whitlock out of the tournament for the second year running, and he warned that he has his eyes on the ultimate prize as he takes on Toni Alcinas.
"I'm here to win this, I'm not here to make numbers up," said Webster. "Whereas before I used to say I'm here to give them a game now I'm here to win it all."
Jamie Lewis caused a huge upset in the second round as he put out world number two Peter Wright, and returns to action just 24 hours after that epic result as he faces James Richardson.
"I've had a bad year, maybe the worst on the circuit, but I got through the qualifiers and it's great for my confidence," said Lewis, who averaged 107 in a career-best big-stage display against Wright.
"Things are finally clicking back into place for me and I can look forward to next year now, whatever happens from here.
"It's the World Championship and I've got to play like that again when I play James."
Rob Cross won one of the matches of the tournament against Michael Smith in the second round, and after hitting 16 180s in that victory is now well fancied for a deep run as he goes up against John Henderson.
"You just get to a standard now and you just keep playing like that," said the Hastings ace. "I need to be playing a more all-round game; in every set I need to push and if I can do that then I've got every chance."
World Youth Champion Dimitri Van den Bergh has had a great run so far but now faces a huge test in the form of Austrian fifth seed Mensur Suljovic as they clash in the day's other third round tie.
William Hill World Darts Championship
Thursday December 28
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
Toni Alcinas v Darren Webster
Mensur Suljovic v Dimitri Van den Bergh
John Henderson v Rob Cross
Evening Session (7pm)
Jamie Lewis v James Richardson
Phil Taylor v Keegan Brown
Gary Anderson v Steve West
Second & Third Rounds - Best of seven sets
CLICK HERE FOR MATCH STATS FROM SPORTRADAR
CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL EVENT INFORMATION
TICKETS
For information about tickets and Hospitality Packages for the William Hill World Darts Championship, please click here.
WATCH LIVE
The William Hill World Darts Championship will be broadcast live worldwide through the following broadcast partners:
PDCTV-HD - PDC Website for Rest of the World Subscribers
Sky Sports - UK & Ireland – dedicated “Sky Sports Darts” channel
RTL7 - Netherlands
Sport1 - Germany
DAZN - Germany, Austria, Switzerland Japan, Canada
Fox Sports - Australia
Sky - New Zealand
Nova - Czech Republic
Viasat - Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Bulgaria, Baltic States
Pragosport - Hungary
OSN - Middle East & North Africa
Kwese - South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa
Eleven Sports - Belgium
BBC America - North America (excluding Canada)
Fox - Italy, Greece, Turkey, Malta, Israel
TVP - Poland
CCTV - China
RTL - Croatia (Dec 28 onwards)
Eurosport - France, Romania, Spain
Eurosport Player - Andorra, Estonia, France & Monaco, Georgie, Israel, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey & CIS (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan)
Facebook Live via OfficialPDC page - for Caribbean & South America
LISTEN LIVE
Commentary of the remainder of the William Hill World Darts Championship will be broadcast live on talkSPORT and talkSPORT2 - click here for further details.