Phil Taylor goes into next week's Play-offs as red hot favourite for a sixth Premier League title, we caught up with the Power after his 7-7 draw with Gary Anderson in Newcastle.
Taylor was held to a dramatic draw by reigning champion Anderson at the Metro Radio Arena on Thursday as he cemented top spot going into finals night having lost just once in 14 matches.
He was pushed all the way by the Flying Scotsman, who despite the draw could not avoid finishing bottom of the pile, as Taylor snatched a point with a tidy 68 finish.
The Power boasts a tournament average of over 100 and has shown unstoppable form throughout the testing 14-week campaign, returning to his clinical best and justifying his odds-on 4/11 price to lift the title next week.
His Semi-Final opponent is multiple major winner James Wade, a man with whom Taylor has shared a number of memorable matches, none more so than the 'nine-dart final' of 2010.
Having fallen at the Semi-Final hurdle last year, the Stoke legend is even more determined to go one step further and re-claim the title and the £150,000 first prize in front of a potential record crowd of 12,000 at London's stunning O2 Arena.
He told Live-Darts: "This is up there with the World Championship."
"Even though it's not a ranking tournament, it's four months of hard slog, you've got to be right and travel week-in week-out but it's been a pleasure to take part in the Premier League this year.
Against James next week it will be tough, there are no easy games and you know you're in for a tough one against him so I'll try my best and hopefully go all the way," added the 15-time World Champion.
Latest outright odds (courtesy of
Bet365)
Phil Taylor 4/11
Simon Whitlock 5/1
James Wade 7/1
Andy Hamilton 14/1
Hear what Phil Taylor had to say in his post-match press conference here (also includes unprompted contributions from Gary Anderson)
