PHIL TAYLOR is determined to raise the standard of darts at the top level even higher, following his superb success in the Sydney Darts Masters.
World Champion Taylor followed up his summer wins in the UK Open and World Matchplay by claiming glory in the PDC's first televised event from Australia last week, as he overcame Michael van Gerwen in the final at Luna Park.
Taylor had averaged 110 or above throughout the entire World Matchplay final against Adrian Lewis, and despite a three-week break before travelling to Sydney, was again in imperious form.
The 53-year-old averaged 109.4 in both his semi-final victory over Simon Whitlock and the final against van Gerwen in the Sydney Darts Masters - and insists that he is determined to raise that standard even higher.
"I never get sick of winning," said Taylor. "I enjoy the game and I love the challenges, and every year it seems a new player comes through, so I have to keep reinventing myself.
"That's what I have to do to prolong my career. I'm 53 now and as long as I'm fit and healthy then there's no reason why I can't carry on competing for a few years yet.
"I'm always trying different things and what I'm doing at the moment is working for me, so I'm going to carry on and try to improve it.
"I'm building up to the big majors now for the rest of the year and I want to keep putting in averages of 109 or 110. That's difficult but they'll catch me up again, these players are not silly, they know what I'm doing and they follow you.
"They'll start changing their diets, changing their shoes and everything and they'll get better, and me pushing that standard up will improve the game and produce some unbelievable darts in the future."
Taylor claimed a trio of Australian scalps in reaching the final in Sydney, as he saw off Kyle Anderson, Paul Nicholson and Simon Whitlock, before taking the £30,000 first prize with a 10-3 romp against van Gerwen.
"It's been a great week," he added. "The event's obviously had a big impact because at the start of the week nobody really recognised us players, but by the end we were getting beeped by cars in the street!
"It's taken off big style in Australia and other countries are showing interest in hosting the World Series of Darts too.
"I might not get invited back by the Aussies though - they've lost to the Lions this summer, they've lost the Ashes and now I've won the Sydney Darts Masters, so they're not very happy!"
Taylor and van Gerwen have enjoyed a host of titanic battles in the past 12 months during the youngster's rise to second in the world, but it was the World Champion who dominated their Sydney decider.
"Michael's a confidence player and if he gets in front of you then his confidence grows, so you have to hit him hard early on," said Taylor, who led 4-0 in the early stages of Saturday's final.
"I think that me playing in the first helped me a little bit because I had more time to relax and prepare for the final. Michael played in the second game and had a tough match against Adrian, and then when he'd come off he didn't have too long before we were back on stage again.
"I knew at the beginning that I had to get into him straight away and that gave me the edge a bit - but he's a phenomenal player.
"He's exceptional and some of the finishes he took out in his semi-final against Adrian, finishing 161, 153 and 121 at crucial times, showed that he can do unbelievable things at the right time, and he'll be back."
Click here to see a Phil Taylor video interview at the OfficialPDC YouTube Page