A TREBLE JACKPOT
Lewis eyes third title after cancer worries
ADRIAN LEWIS begins his crusade tomorrow for the best treble in darts – three world titles – after a cancer scare.
Incredibly Lewis, who won PDC crowns in 2011 and 2012, was back on the oche within a fortnight of back surgery in the summer.
The pain of a split muscle near the base of his spine reduced the world No.7’s kip to less than an hour a night.
But at one stage, sleep deprivation was the least of his concerns.
Keith Deller (right), the 1983 world champion and now Lewis’s manager, revealed: “He had this back operation and I don’t think people realise how potentially serious it was. At one point they feared it was cancer. That is how worrying it was.
“He didn’t make a fuss, he had the operation and two weeks later lost in the semi-final of the World Matchplay. He had to sit down during the breaks because his back hurt so much. What Adrian has been through this year is tough by any measure.”
Lewis, 32, who opens his William Hill PDC World Championship against qualifier Aleksandr Oreshkin or Kevin Munch, welcomed his fourth child earlier this year.
He said: “I had a split muscle which penetrated through to the skin.
“They had to stitch it together at the top. It was so painful. It had been getting worse and worse – I was only getting about 40 minutes’ sleep at night.
“The docs said it could have ended my career. I have to take things easy now and make sure I look after myself better. I was taking too many things for granted.
“I’ve cut out all the takeaways and instead of a fry-up for breakfast, I’m having cereal now – cutbacks like that.
“Now I need to start winning Majors again. I reached the world championship final the year before last, but it’s been three years since I won a big tournament.
“I don’t think you’ve seen the best of me yet.”