ADRIAN LEWIS is hoping to avoid an opening-night upset when he faces Kevin Painter in the Sky Bet Mobile World Matchplay on Saturday.
The World Champion is hoping to win his second major title when he competes in the £400,000 event at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
The Stoke has been handed a tough task for his first round contest in the World Matchplay, with former World Championship finalist Painter having undergone laser eye surgery following the UK Open last month.
Both Lewis and Painter were third round losers in the UK Open, and the 26-year-old is anticipating a strong challenge in Blackpool this weekend.
"He's going to be a tough opponent," Lewis told Sky Sports News Radio.
"I've heard he's had laser eye surgery and hit a nine-darter as soon as he'd had it done, so obviously his confidence is going to be high.
"But if I can get straight out of the blocks on Saturday and take the match to him I can turn him over.
"My form's good and I've been putting a lot of hard work in since Bolton, and I know if I can build on that in Blackpool."
Lewis was a quarter-finalist on his World Matchplay debut in 2005 and also reached the semi-finals in 2007, and admits that he is relishing the chance to be back on the Winter Gardens stage.
"It would be fantastic to win in Blackpool next week," he added. "For me it's the second biggest tournament there is, behind the World Championship.
"It's my favourite event to play in, I think the crowd's fantastic and it's like a party atmosphere. It will be great."
Lewis could meet Stoke rival Phil Taylor, the reigning and 11-time World Matchplay winner, should the pair progress to the final on July 24, and the youngster admits he would relish the chance to face his former practice partner in the decider.
"I've beaten him three times out of the last four in big events and if you can beat Phil Taylor over a long format then you can beat anybody," he said.
"It does give you a lot of confidence."
However, Lewis enters the World Matchplay looking to bounce back from losing in the last 64 of the UK Open, classed as darts' FA Cup because big-name players can be drawn together at any stage - as proven when he took on world number seven Terry Jenkins.
"In the UK Open I lost to Terry Jenkins but I still averaged over 100, which is still a fair average, and Terry was just the better player on the night," he said.
"Going up there as World Champion does add a little bit of pressure to you too, but I've got broad enough shoulders to deal with it and I've put Bolton behind me now."
Tickets for the Sky Bet Mobile World Matchplay are still available by calling 0844 856 11 11 or visiting the Winter Gardens Box Office.
Sky Bet Mobile are giving fans the chance to win VIP tickets to the Sky Bet Mobile World Matchplay Final
Click Here for full information & to enter their exclusive competition