• PDC World Championship

Chisnall: I showed Taylor too much respect

Dave Chisnall is one of the hottest prospects in darts © Getty Images

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Dave Chisnall maintains he has learned from his World Grand Prix final loss to Phil Taylor and is more than ready to put things right on the oche at the PDC World Championship.

After enjoying a highly successful debut year on the PDC circuit in 2012, including finishing top of the Pro Tour Order of Merit last year, Chisnall has gone from strength to strength in his rise to a career high seventh in the world rankings.

'Chizzy' reached his first major final at the Grand Prix - the only televised tournament with a double-in-double-out format - in October, but could not stop Taylor from romping to an 11th title in Dublin.

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However, the St Helens star admits that players often face 'The Power' thinking they were already going to lose.

"I'm extremely proud of reaching a major final in only my second year on the PDC circuit," Chisnall told ESPN. "I'm more proud of that because it was a double-in-double-out format and people criticise me for my doubles. I didn't perform in the final but I've got to move on. I think I respected Phil too much that night, but that's over with now.

"Because I beat Phil before, that's probably why I showed him so much respect. I've beaten him on the floor a few times and when you're playing in the back rooms you end up chatting like you're not even playing darts. It was like having a pint in the pub or something.

"On tour, I'd say more people are scared of Phil. And he knows that. He knows he's going to win and players go up there thinking they're going to lose anyway. Even with me in that final, when I won that first leg I was a little bit relieved - he wasn't going to beat me 18-0!"

On Sunday, Chisnall opens his World Championship campaign against good friend John Henderson, who enjoyed a recent Pro Tour victory over the man famed for wearing yellow.

"I'm feeling quite confident," Chisnall said. "I played him the other week in Barnsley and he played well and he beat me. But there's no revenge with John, he's a nice man and I like him. He's a very good darts player and on that particular day he deserved to win."

"The next step for me, realistically, is keeping in the top ten. I say top 16, but I want to be higher than that - for the next year, top ten. If I just do what I do then I can be in the top ten all next year. That's my goal.

"But it's brilliant winning on that stage at Ally Pally. The first round is the main round for everybody, because everyone wants to win or avoid an upset. But then you can really settle into it."

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