Painter could face Taylor in a rematch of their 2004 classic
Friday 16 December 2016 11:27, UK
Kevin Painter has been out of the limelight for a few years now, but 'The Artist' has been brushing up on his arrows as he eyes another Phil Taylor masterpiece at the World Darts Championship.
Painter, 49, is on a collision course with 16-time world champion Taylor, which would be a repeat of the 2004 final - a classic, which Taylor won 7-6.
Since then, Painter reached the semi-finals at Alexandra Palace in 2008 before losing to John Part, and after winning the 2011 Players Championship, he was handed a wild card entry into the Premier League, but it was to ultimately end in disappointment as he finished second from bottom in the table.
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Oddly enough, should Taylor progress through his first-round match against John Bowles or David Platt on Sunday night, he would face Painter on the biggest stage for the second year in a row. Last year, Painter missed four darts for a 2-1 lead over Taylor before going on to lose 4-1.
But it's been a difficult journey since, with Painter having dropped outside of the top 32 in the world after admitting to having personal problems in his life.
Painter was lucky to have made it through this year having claimed an automatic qualification through the ProTour Order of Merit following the withdrawal of Australia's Kyle Anderson, who was unable to secure a UK Visa.
And Painter was thankful to win the last six legs of his clash against Jamie Caven to complete a 3-1 success.
"It is a game to remember for me, because it has been a long while coming back and trying to win and qualify for a television event," said Painter, who reached the World Championship for a 17th year in succession. "Over the last 18 months I have been poor and it is a massive win for me.
"I am not bothered about stats, I am nowhere near the top 32.
"The standard is so high, and when you get problems away from the oche, personal stuff, you lose your concentration. If I was not wearing the shirt, you would not think it was me some of the rubbish I was playing.
"I just need a few wins, I have not played enough darts to generate enough form. I am happy to be back in a world championship and win a game."
You can see all the action from the Alexandra Palace at 7pm on Sky Sports Darts HD. Don't forget, you can send us your comments and predictions throughout this year's tournament by tweeting us @SkySportsDarts ... #LoveTheDarts
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