STEVE BROWN believes only his best will be good enough against Phil Taylor in the Players Championship Finals on Friday.
Bristol's Brown will take on 15-time World Champion Phil Taylor in the first round of the £250,000 tournament, which is being held from Thursday-Sunday at The Dome and streamed exclusively through PDCtv.
Brown has yet to defeat Taylor since turning professional in 2008, but has emerged as a challenger for the world's top 32 during the past year - including knocking Terry Jenkins out of the World Matchplay in Blackpool.
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Brown faces Taylor on the second night of the event on Friday, with the best-of-11 leg game giving him the chance to challenge darts' greatest ever player.
"It's a tough challenge and I know nothing less than my best's going to be enough," said Brown.
"I'm more than capable of hitting a ton-plus average so if I go up there and focus on doing that, rather than playing the player I've got to play against, I'm as confident as I can be.
"I've played Phil twice before on the tour and led against him both times, and perhaps thrown it away come the end. I'm not intimidated by playing him, if anything it spurs me on a little bit.
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"My short-term goal is to get into the top 32 and, if I can get past Phil in Doncaster and have a good run then it's possible," Steve Brown |
"As long as I can hit two treble 20s in each three darts and check out with my first dart, I've got a great chance!"
Should Brown overcome Taylor, he would meet either world number three James Wade or fellow Bristolian Mark Dudbridge, who travels with Brown on the PDC circuit and is often a practice partner of the 30-year-old.
"It wouldn't get much easier if I get past Phil because it would be James Wade or Mark Dudbridge waiting for me," admits Brown.
"It would be great to play Mark because of us both being from Bristol, but I have to focus on Friday first."
Brown has risen to 36th in the PDC Order of Merit in the past 12 months, having qualified for debuts in the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix and also competed in the UK Open and World Championship.
"You can't buy experience and I've gained a lot of it, especially in the last 12 months with playing in four TV events," he added. "I'm a better player and a better man for it.
"A lot has changed since the World Championship and I've got some great sponsors on board as well as a new manager. People have shown a lot of faith in me and it's time to repay them.
"My short-term goal is to get into the top 32 and, if I can get past Phil in Doncaster and have a good run then it's possible."
Watch the Players Championship Finals live in PDCtv this weekend!
Click here for full information