MAX HOPP has spoken of his admiration for world number one Michael van Gerwen ahead of their clash in the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts on Monday night.
German talent Hopp, like van Gerwen, shot to prominence in his mid-teens and the former World Youth Champion is now aiming to follow the Dutchman to the very top of the sport.
Van Gerwen's rise has seen him become a runaway world number one with his incredible period of success since 2012, and he has begun his bid to retain the Grand Slam of Darts title with two Group A wins against Martin Adams and Brendan Dolan.
Hopp bounced back from his narrow loss to Dolan by seeing off Adams on Sunday night, and knows that a win over van Gerwen would secure him a second round place in Wolverhampton.
While he acknowledges the size of his task against van Gerwen - who has won the last three TV titles amongst 23 event wins this year - Hopp is aiming to show his talent once again on the big stage.
"I know it will be a difficult game against Michael," he said. "I need to be realistic, I'm the number 38 in the world so it's not easy to beat the number one.
"I was a bit unlucky to miss two match darts in my first game but you have to handle that and I'm very happy I got the win against Martin, and maybe there is a little chance to get through now and I'll put all my power into the game against Michael.
"As a young lad you look up to people like Michael and I see all his games. I know he has situations where he feels uncomfortable and I think the best thing to do for me is to enjoy the game, it doesn't matter how it goes."
Hopp qualified for his Grand Slam debut by winning the 2015 World Youth Championship, and admits that the group stage has helped him gain further experience of televised darts.
"You have at least three games on television, so you can show the world what you're capable of," he said. "I've always loved to watch the Grand Slam on TV anyway, and I'm very happy to be competing in it this year."
Hopp has won a PDC Unicorn Development Tour event this year and also reached his first European Tour quarter-final in his native Germany, where the 20-year-old is already emerging as a darts superstar.
"I want to go step by step and my goal for this year was to reach the top 32, and with a good run at the World Championship I can reach that - but if not I can still build on it next year," said Hopp.
"Of course I look up to Michael, he's incredible really and a big, big talent in darts. I don't want to follow his career, I want to create my own, but one day I want to be in his position."