PHIL TAYLOR is predicting the 'best ever' quarter-final when he faces Adrian Lewis in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship on Friday.
The Stoke-based duo will clash at Alexandra Palace in the most eye-catching of four mouth-watering quarter-final contests, with the reigning champion coming up against the in-form number eight seed.
Lewis has produced arguably his finest televised performances in seeing off Aodhagan O'Neill, Wes Newton and Kevin McDine - notching three of the top four averages of the tournament so far in the process.
Taylor has also averaged over 100 in each of his three wins, against Colin Monk, Steve Hine and Robert Thornton, and is eagerly awaiting the clash with his former practice partner and protege.
"I think you're going to see the best quarter-final you've ever seen between me and Adrian," said Taylor.
"Normally I beat him quite convincingly but he seems a different person, seems to have got himself ready and grown up a lot.
"I don't know what this is going to be like but I'm going to go at him like I normally do and let's see how he copes with it.
"This is the one I've been looking forward to - this is my final."
Lewis, though, is refusing the label the clash as his 'final' as he seeks to record a first televised win over the 14-time World Champion.
"I think I'll see it as a first round match - I won't see it as a quarter-final or a final," he said.
"If I beat Phil when he's at his best, that will prove something to me and something to the world where I know I can beat Phil at his best, and hopefully then I can go on and win the tournament.
"If I play Phil and win and that's my final and then I lose in the semi-final, that won't do justice to me and I'll be really disappointed if I did that.
"I can't see Phil as a final, I've got to see Phil as a first round match, it's going to be a tough contest but I'm looking forward to it."
Lewis has lost to Taylor in the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix in the last six months, but believes he is a different player now.
"After my first round match I was looking forward to playing Phil and I still am," he said. "I think it's going to be a cracker.
"I've had three out of the top four averages [in the tournament so far] and we're having a little bit of banter about that, and you need a bit of that in darts.
"I'll treat him as I would anyone else - if I show him too much respect, I won't win.
"Phil will always be number one in my eyes. He has won 14 world titles - I don't think anyone will ever beat that record - and he will always been number in Stoke.
"I love to Phil to bits but when we're on that oche, it will be a totally different game."
The quarter-finals will open when Co Stompe, who has reached the last eight for a second successive year, meets former Lakeside Champion Mark Webster.
"Co Stompe beat Mervyn King and is a quality player," said Webster. "I won't take him lightly and I'll have to be on my top game to beat him.
"I've said many times that I haven't done myself justice this year [since joining the PDC] but I'm in the quarter-finals and I'm here to win this tournament."
World number three James Wade is bidding to reach a second successive World Championship semi-final when he meets impressive Australian Simon Whitlock, who has shone in victories over Colin Osborne, Wayne Jones and Terry Jenkins so far in the event.
"Every game's been tough for me and you need to throw 100-plus averages to win a matches here, that's how strong the tournament is," said Whitlock. "I think when it gets tough I can pull out 180s and big pegs, so I believe I can step up."
The evening session will see Taylor and Lewis follow the meeting between world number two Raymond van Barneveld and number seven seed Ronnie Baxter, who missed darts to knock out the Dutchman 12 months ago.
"It's nothing to do with revenge, it's to do with winning," said Baxter. "You get revenge in your heart and mind but you want to win.
"If you [beat him] at the right time, like this, it's worth a lot of money. But it's war on that stage."
Van Barneveld showed signs of fatigue in his 4-1 third round win over Kevin Painter, and admits he is still learning to deal with being diagnosed with diabetes during 2009.
"I was tired [against Kevin]," admitted the Dutchman. "It costs me so much energy to focus every single time and it is going to be my biggest obstacle.
"I have to look at every single game as a final now and I know what Ronnie can do. He is playing really good darts."
Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship - Tickets
A limited number of extra tickets have been made available for these final four sessions and can be purchased via www.seetickets.com/darts and collected from Alexandra Palace on the day.