David Pallett confident of a worlds run

The Shropshire darter and the Belgian will meet in the first round at the Alexandra Palace in London, live on Sky Sports,

The 25-year-old returns to the tournament for a second time in succession, having made his debut last time out.

This seems a more winnable tie, with Pallett holding a win over him in the European Trophy. However, Huybrechts has beaten him in a UK Open qualifier and in the Players Championship.

That Trophy run to the semi-finals, where Huybrechts was accounted for 6-5, remains Pallett's best run in a PDC competition.

And he said: "I know what Kim is about, he's beaten me a couple of times but I've seen him off before, too. I would like to think this is a game I can win.

"There's no easy draws when you are unseeded for a world championship. It could have been better, but it could have been worse.

"It's a tough one to call, the victory I have over him was a shorter format and he'll be more used to playing sets. It's all part of a learning curve for me.

"But I've got more stage experience than last year and it will help that I've been there before. I'll know what to expect."

It's been another year of improvement for Pallett, which has seen him rise to 38th on the Pro Tour Order of Merit and 47th overall. He'll bank another £10,000 just for taking part in the worlds.

He made his Ally Pally debut last December against two-time world champion Adrian Lewis, who was in imperious form to whitewash him 3-0.

Lewis recorded the best average of the phase, racking up 101.90 for a sets landslide success. Pallett won three legs over the nine, taking the lead with a cracking 161 checkout.

He said: "I felt like I did well, but Adrian was pretty unplayable that night. The opening leg showed the standard and it turned into a bit of a bashing.

"The whole experience, from getting there the day before to going up to the oche, was all new to me. And Adrian was throwing red-hot darts. I could do without the same from Kim!"