Taylor meets Monk as Darts extravaganza looms

Defending champion Phil Taylor (2/5 favourite with Stan James to win the title) has been handed a first-round draw against Colin Monk in the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.

Taylor takes on the Basingstoke qualifier in London on December 18 as the favourite looks for another crown to add to his glittering collection.

'The Power' is expected to have far too much for Monk but the Stoke-born star insists he is always looking for ways to improve his game and has taken to giving his darts a 'haircut' - clipping the flights slightly to make them more aerodynamic - recently in a bid to give himself an extra edge.

"I'm always exploring ways of making myself better, trying to stay ahead of the pack," he said in The Mirror.

"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."

World number two Raymond van Barneveld, meanwhile, on offer at 12/1 with Stan James, will face New Zealand's Warren Parry in the first round, while 2008 champion John Part (80/1), takes on Dutchman Toon Greebe.