RONNIE Baxter, one of the most talented players never to win the Embassy World Championship, heads for the Lakeside in Surrey tomorrow to begin his seventh quest for darts glory.

And second seed Baxter reckons he will never have a better chance of heading back to Church in eight days time £40,000 richer and with the winner's trophy for his mantlepiece.

The 36-year-old starts out on Sunday night against unranked Scot Peter Johnstone and is confidently tipped to cruise into the last 16.

But then Baxter, 8-1 joint second favourite with the bookmakers, has been tipped before on many occasions and let both his backers and himself down.

He was seeded two back in 1994 only to suffer a whitewash on the opening day at the hands of eventual champion John Part and he couldn't get past the second round last year when again hopes were high.

"I have reached the last eight before, but, it's true, I have never really made a serious challenge," he admitted.

Baxter, an England International, has spent the last few days practising hard with his Lancashire team mate and Embassy rival Paul Williams, from Bolton, and believes he is in the best form of his long career.

"The best guide to form is recent events and last month I was runner-up in the Masters and the only bloke to beat me there Graham Hunt hasn't qualified for the Lakeside," said Baxter, who has also lifted the Swiss Open this season.

"There are plenty of good players around, but I've beaten them all. If I feel good this week then I'll take all the stopping."

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