Dave Chisnall enters the fray on Thursday evening, facing Vincent van der Voort. Watch live on Sky Sports Darts from 7pm
Thursday 19 December 2019 19:02, UK
Dave Chisnall has delivered his best darts in 2019.
A runner-up at the Grand Prix, semi-finalist at the Masters, and quarter-finalist at the European Championship and Grand Slam. Add in two Players Championship titles in Wigan and a Danish Darts Open triumph, and it has been a fruitful calendar year.
He would dearly love to finish it with a bang.
But how would he rate his own form out of 10?
"About seven or eight," he said, speaking to the Darts Show Podcast. "I've played good. My game is mostly scoring but the doubles have let me down a few times in tournaments, which I've been disappointed about, but it's been a good season.
"I feel like I'm going into it as an in-form player. I've been playing very well. It has been a bit up and down for me at the Worlds. I have had a good year, bad year, good year, bad year, but I'm feeling confident."
I feel like I'm going into it as an in-form player.
However, despite a promising year, he still chases a first televised title of his career.
"It would mean everything. I've been very close a number of times," he said.
"It would be nice to play someone else other than Phil Taylor (previously) or Michael van Gerwen in a final! You never know then but those two have always switched it on against me and I've never turned up.
"People know that I'm a great scorer and they might just catch me out on the doubles, so they've got to do the same and hope that I miss doubles."
The 39-year-old opens his campaign against Vincent van der Voort, who impressed in his first-round dispatch of Keane Barry on Monday night. Chizzy is fully aware of the capabilities of the big Dutchman.
"Vincent has been playing very well," he warned. "I'm not really bothered who I play though, as they're all good players at the end of the day.
"I think I'm a quick player. For me, my manager always says to me that he'd rather see me play against a slow player than a fast player, because once he goes fast, I start to rush my darts and I want to get up there just as fast as he does!"
While the World Championship is the ultimate goal for all professionals, it also acts as the final examination upon which the Premier League spots are decided.
There are arguably five players vying for two remaining spots should the 10-person format be retained, and Chizzy is right in the mix.
"That's one of my goals, to get back in the Premier League," he noted. "I enjoy playing in the Premier League and it's good match practice every Thursday night, which is then good for the weekend.
"Also to get back into the World Series, as I've missed out on the past couple of years on that."
But right now, Chizzy will remain fully focused on the task at hand; that's to go as far into the World Championship as possible. He knows full well that should he bring his A-game to the Ally Pally, Premier League and World Series spots will look after themselves.
Coverage of the PDC World Championship is live exclusively on Sky Sports Darts and the action continues through to the final on New Year's Day. If you are out and about, you can follow with regular updates, clips, features & reports at skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and @SkySportsDarts
