Phil Taylor opened his challenge in the Stan James World Matchplay with a win on Monday night - but defending champion Colin Lloyd was dumped from the tournament by Steve Maish.
Taylor, who saw a five-year run of wins at the Winter Garden ended 12 months ago with a quarter-final loss to John Part, came from 3-0 down to defeat Bob Anderson 10-5.
He will now meet Part once more in the second round today, and admitted: 'I know what to do and it will be like Mike Tyson versus Lennox Lewis - massive.
'John doesn't roll over for anybody, he has got a lot of bottle and he performs under pressure.'
Taylor's chances of taking a seventh World Matchplay title increased further earlier on Monday evening, when world number one and defending World Matchplay champion Colin Lloyd lost 10-6 to Steve Maish.
Lloyd never recovered from allowing Maish to move 3-0 and 8-3 up, with the Southend player setting up a second round meeting with Chris Mason after the biggest win of his career.
'I'm over the moon,' said Maish. 'Colin didn't play his best game, but he gave me some chances and I took them.'
Mason booked his place in the last 16 with a 10-6 win over Steve Beaton, while Wayne Mardle overcame Steve Hine 10-5 to bounce back from a first round exit in the Las Vegas Desert Classic.
Mardle meets Lionel Sams - who overcame Terry Jenkins 10-7 - in the second round, while a plum tie will see Stoke due Adrian Lewis and Andy Hamilton clash.
Lewis won 10-6 against Matt Clark in Monday's afternoon session, and Hamilton produced an impressive display to overcome Peter Manley.
The day's other game saw Kevin Painter - another player under pressure after slipping to 11th in the rankings - hold off plucky Welshman Barrie Bates with a 10-8 win.
