Adrian Lewis believes he is ready to re-establish himself as a major force in the world of darts with a landmark victory over Gary Anderson at Alexandra Palace on Thursday night.
Lewis recovered from a set down to Matt Campbell on Wednesday's opening night, winning the last three sets in impressive fashion to set up a meeting of two-time World Champions.
The pair twice met in the 2011 and 2016 finals, claiming a title each, but will now face off in the second round of this year's event.
Asked if he was on the cusp of a return to his best, Lewis confidently replied: "I am. Last night within my first half hour on the practice board I missed double twelve twice for nine darters.
"If I give it my all I've got a great chance of beating anybody in the world, it doesn't matter who they are.
"I feel sorry for Gary in some respects, he's unlucky to be playing a two-time World Champion in the second round but that's just the way the draw is.
"I can't wait to play him. Bring it on, it's as simple as that really."
Despite twice lifting the title on the Alexandra Palace stage, Lewis admits he felt nervous playing in the first round as an unseeded player for the first time in his career.
"I've had pressure all my career; there's no more pressure than walking in Phil Taylor's footsteps," Lewis reflected.
"But the first round is always so nervy, you feel sick to your stomach waling on stage because you put so much pressure on yourself to perform.
"Nobody wanted to play Matt, he was one of the toughest draws possible so I'm glad to get the first job done.
"Six months ago I might've got angry with myself and lost the match but I've been working that hard on the practice board I thought 'it's time to step up now'."
The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and RTL7, and on PDCTV (excluding UK and Netherlands based subscribers).
Tickets for some sessions remain available through SeeTickets.