Tabern looking ahead to MvG-clash: 'I hope he plays well'

‘The Saint’ cruised into a 2-0 lead, before holding off a fightback from his Australian opponent to triumph 3-2. ‘I’m very happy, I’m over the moon,’ the Englishman said. ‘It actually felt better to be up on that stage than it did a couple of years ago, when I was there regularly.’
Tabern, who last appeared at the Alexandra Palace in 2012, did take a while to get used to the biggest stage in darts.
'When I had my nine practice darts on stage before I was in the practice room, the stage felt massive and the board felt 35 foot away. I decided to stand an inch or few back behind the oche in the practice room, so when I got back up there again it felt fine.'
The 2007 quarter-finalist now faces world-number-one Michael van Gerwen in the second round, but is not fearful of the twice world champion: ‘I believe he’s got me next, I hope he’s playing well.’
Click here for more information about the PDC World Darts Championship, including schedules and the prize fund breakdown.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb56rcoHx9I