JOHN PART hopes that his North Amercian Darts Championship victory can kick-start his year.
The three-time World Champion has suffered a tough first half to 2010, slipping down to the edge of the world's top 32 with a run of only two PDC ProTour quarter-finals and one final so far, plus a last 64 exit in the Rileys Darts Zones UK Open.
He had endured a disappointing time in the opening four days of the New Tropicana World Series of Darts Festival, going down in the first round of three events and in the last 64 of the PDC US Open Players Championship.
However, that changed when he battled through the field to pick up the £5,000 first prize in the North American Darts Championship with a victory over Darin Young in the final - a win which could prove priceless for the Canadian's confidence.
"I've never in my career thought I wasn't playing well - whether I was right or wrong - and I guess this win helps validate that," he said.
"I thought I played better in other days during the week than in the event I won, but somewhere you have to learn the difference between playing well and winning.
"Even champions have to go through that sometimes because you can forget how to win. Maybe I have a little bit, but this will help me."
Part had opened the New Tropicana World Series of Darts Festival with a defeat to Young in the World Cricket Championship, before avenging that to see off the American in the North American Darts Championship final.
"I started the week against Darin in the World Cricket Championship and he won what I think was a higher-quality match, and the second time I got the win," said Part.
"You get frustrated as a player. You think you're playing well and sometimes you deceive yourself because you're not playing well
"I lost to a lot of talented players and I was beaten fairly by every player I faced this week. In the 32nd seed place for the Players Championships I thought it would be Phil Taylor who would beat me, but it wasn't because there are so many good players now.
"That's a terrific thing because the circuit is so strong."
Part's victory in the North American Darts Championship included a dramatic semi-final win over Gary Mawson, who missed seven match darts to put himself into the final.
The event itself gave Part a rare chance to compete with some of his rivals from Canada and America, one which he relished.
"Normally I am playing with all the top pros, but this was exclusively a north American event doesn't happen very often," he added.
"I played a lot of friends who I've known for a long time and played many times, like Shawn Brenneman, Chris White, Gary Mawson and Darin Young. It was an emotional day and not easy to play.
"I was very lucky to win the semi-final against Gary Mawson, which was always going to be a hard match because we've been friends for so long.
"He had me dead and buried and I got away with it, and maybe there was a touch of luck that I won - and I haven't felt lucky all week until now!"
Click here for the North American Darts Championship report