Taylor - 13-time world champion.

Date of birth: 13.08.60
Home town: Stoke-on-Trent
Nickname: The Power
Major titles: World Championship (13 times), World Masters (once), World Matchplay (nine times), World Grand Prix (eight times), Grand Slam (twice), Premier League (four times), Las Vegas Desert Classic (four times), European Championship (once), UK Open (twice), US Open (three times)
World Championship best: Winner (13 times)
Walk-on music: The Power

It's ridiculous to think that as recently as March people were speculating whether Taylor was in terminal decline.

Yet at the time it was hard to argue - failing to win the world title for a second straight season after an inconsistent (by his standards) 2007 was bad enough but he would then make an unusually weak start to this year's Premier League.

But it is in adversity that true champions show their mettle and we should have known better than to doubt Taylor.

Since the second half of the Premier League, 'The Power' has been awesome (with the occasional glitch), winning no fewer than 18 tour titles this year including the World Match Play, Grand Prix, Las Vegas Desert Classic, US Open, European Open, Championship League and Grand Slam.

And his averages have gone through the roof - with 105 now seemingly his benchmark for a good performance, though recently has regularly been hitting over 110 in tournaments.

A 13-time world champion, Taylor has dominated this PDC event since its inception, winning it 11 of the 15 times it has been staged to add to the two titles he had claimed before the game split into its two rival factions in 1992.

But two years ago he was beaten by Raymond van Barneveld in a classic final and 12 months later he was stunned by Wayne Mardle in the quarter-finals, so has some unfinished business this time round.