CO STOMPE is looking to take his good recent form into the StanJames.com World Matchplay when he takes on Andy Hamilton on Sunday.
The Dutchman enjoyed his best run since February when he reached a Players Championship semi-final in Haarlem last month before winning the Las Vegas Players Championship with a defeat of James Wade.
He had only won past the last 32 once in 15 PDC ProTour events before that run in Holland, but showed he was back to his best with a first Players Championship title.
"I played some brilliant darts over in Las Vegas but I'd had a few good runs before it so I knew the form was there," he told Sky Sports News Radio. "I played well and it was a good win.
"It was special to beat James in the final, but I have to admit that he didn't play his best game. It's a long day and I took advantage of that."
Stompe recently celebrated two years on the PDC circuit, with a German Darts Championship win in 2008 his biggest victory to date.
"It's been a bit up and down," he reflected. "I started off really well, winning in Germany and beating Phil Taylor in the final, and I've had two quarter-finals in the World Championship too, but I've had a few bumpy months as well where I've not really performed.
"I'm on the way back now and I'll give myself another half a year to find out where I'm at - maybe I'll even find myself in the Premier League if I'm lucky.
"I've had a few other things on my mind, working on a couple of other projects, and I was a bit sloppy with my practice but I've picked that up again over the past two months."
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"This is what you do it all for... the English crowds are great, like nowhere else in the world," Co Stompe |
"This is what you do it all for," he said. "You practice every day of the week to go up there, and you see all those thousands of people who have paid money to watch you play darts.
"It should give you a good feeling and it's great that they all turn up - the English crowds are great, like nowhere else in the world."
Stompe lost to Adrian Lewis on his World Matchplay debut last summer, and this year he faces Andy Hamilton in Blackpool in Sunday night's first fixture.
"I've got a good record against Andy but you have to keep in mind that he's ranked number ten in the world and that tells you about his capacities," added Stompe.
"You can't expect just to go up there and beat him because he's experienced and he's a very good dart player. I'll just focus on that one game on Sunday night and see what happens."
The StanJames.com World Matchplay is being held from July 17-25 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Limited tickets are still available on 0844 856 1111.