LEWIS LOTTERY ..TO JACKPOT!
Former champ is determined to justify his nickname with another shot at the title
ADRIAN LEWIS has decided it’s time to start justifying his ‘Jackpot’ nickname again instead of taking just loose change from the fruit machine.
And his old mentor Phil Taylor says Lewis has the firepower to be a “dangerous” 66-1 shot at the William Hill PDC world championship “if he gets his head on right.”
Two-time champion Lewis, who won back-to-back titles in 2011-12 at Alexandra Palace, joins the fancy-dress carnage tonight against 21-year-old Ted Evetts on a potential fourthround collision course with world No.1 Michael van Gerwen.
Twelve months ago, Lewis was on the wrong end of the biggest upset in darts history, dumped out of the tournament in the first round by 2,000-1 rank outsider Kevin Munch, a German landscape gardener ranked No.335 in the world.
Axed from the Premier League, Lewis was then handed a suspended three-month ban in February after a bust-up with Spain’s Jose Justicia at a UK Open qualifier, which was referred to the Darts Regulation Authority.
But at 33, Lewis – who has won £2.9million in prize money – is ready to take his career earnings past the £3m barrier before he rings in 2019.
He said: “With £500,000 for the winner, when you have a nickname like ‘Jackpot’ there’s only one word for the incentive – kerching! I’ve got a good record at Ally Pally – I’ve won it twice and reached another final in the last 10 years – and I want to tell people I’m still one of the best in the world.
“Although I was kicking myself for about a month after losing to Kevin, I’d had a back operation in the summer and I couldn’t prepare right. But I am fine now.
“It would be massive to become only the second player in the history of the PDC to win three world titles – and I feel like I have started fresh again and I don’t have anything to prove.
“I wasn’t picked for the Premier League, and that did me a favour. I had to concentrate on the ranking side because I dropped out of the top 16 for the first time. But I have grafted and got myself back in there again and my form is peaking at the right time.
“Yes, I could meet Michael in the fourth round, but if you want to be world champion you have to beat the best at some point.”
Taylor, who mentored Lewis on his rise from the Stoke-ontrent pub leagues to the big stage, believes his old apprentice still has the ability to conquer the world again.
The 16-times champion said: “He’s young enough and good enough to come good again.
“He’s won two world titles and you don’t become a bad player overnight.
“If Aidy gets his head on right, he’ll be dangerous and could get to the final. If he’s used the last few weeks to prepare well, he could come in under the radar.”
Afternoon session (12.30pm), 2nd round
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EVENING session (7pm), 2nd round –