Lewis targets Premier League return as he bids to recapture top form

Adrian Lewis is confident he can turn his barren run of form around and become a major force in PDC darts once again.

The two-time World Champion has yo-yoed in and out of the world’s top 16 over the past 18 months amid an indifferent spell of form on both floor and stage.

The 34-year-old has not reached a televised Quarter-Final since the 2017 World Matchplay but did pick up a Players Championship title in March – his first PDC title for two years.

Lewis, who currently occupies the world number 15 spot, admits he has been below-par for much of the season but is hopeful his new setup will pay dividends.

“I think I’ve been very patchy,” Lewis told Live Darts.

“Now I’ve got the right equipment. I’m using small flights again which I used for the first ten years of my career so why I changed in the first place I don’t know!

“I’m hitting a lot more 180s and that’s showed over the last couple of weeks since I’ve been using them.

“The 180s are back and as long as they’re back, I’m dangerous.”

The Stoke star has not featured in either of the last two Premier Leagues, finishing eighth in 2017, but believes a resurgence in the second half of the season could put him back into contention.

He added: “I’ve missed it for the last couple of years, I was the last person to hit a nine-darter in it, the last two actually!

“I haven’t been in it for a couple of years and not one has been hit! 

“I don’t think I’ve deserved a spot so it’s one of those things and when I start winning again I’ll be back in.

“I couldn’t practice any better, my finishing is good and I’m hitting nine-darters here and there.

“All it is now is getting a bit of confidence and that comes from winning games and tournaments.

“I’m enjoying playing all the tournaments again, I haven’t really done that for a few years so I’m enjoying it which is probably most important.

“I’m 15th at the minute, hopefully coming up to the World Championship I can be pushing around the 12 mark then after the World Championship I’m not defending anything.

“I might win the World Championship for instance, who knows? That’s my aim.”

Lewis was beaten 10-4 by Glen Durrant in the recent Betfred World Matchplay, suffering a first exit in the opening round since 2010, but admits he is determined to learn from the mistakes he made at the Winter Gardens.

“I started too sluggish,” he recalled. “I let him in too many times and didn’t score heavily enough.

“I was very patchy and would hit a 180 then 60 – you need the consistency on scoring as well as finishing and it didn’t happen for me in that tournament.

“Saying that, I’d only had that setup for a week and played with them in the midweek ProTours.

“I knew I needed to do something drastic and just take that chance.

“I think you learn more from losing because you can look back at what you’ve done wrong.

“I know what I’ve done wrong, I wasn’t consistent enough on the scoring, so now I’ll go back and I’ll work on that and make sure it’s right.

“I’ll just keep taking little steps until I know I’m where I should be.

“MVG has hit a bad patch, everybody goes through it.

“Phil Taylor went through it god knows how many times, I’ve been through it and I’m still in it!

“It’s just timing, and if your timing’s out it just doesn’t go for you and if you’re just feeling that little bit negative you just don’t get the rub of the green.”