Defending champion Phil Taylor (1/3 to win the tournament on darts coupon) has been drawn to play Colin Monk in the first round of the PDC World Championship.

The 12-time world champion will go head-to-head with the qualifier from Basingstoke at Alexandra Palace in London on December 18th.

World number two Raymond van Barneveld (10/1 to win the title on coupon) has been drawn to face Warren Parry from New Zealand, while the 2008 champions John Part (100/1 to lift the trophy on coupon) will play Holland’s Toon Greebe in the first round.

Taylor recently looked impressive while winning the Grand Slam of Darts title for the third year in succession but said he is looking for ways to improve his game, such as clipping his flights to make them more aerodynamic.

He told The Mirror: “I’m always exploring ways of making myself better, trying to stay ahead of the pack.

“In 99.99 per cent of cases, they don’t work and I feel like I’m a mad professor. But trimming those flights gives you more room to squeeze three darts into a confined area of two square centimetres – and it works.”

The main ingredient to being a world champions is all in the player’s head despite what changes they make to their game, added ‘The Power’.

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