Taylor aims to emulate O'Sullivan

Taylor lost in the UK Open quarter-finals (Getty Images)

Stoke's Phil Taylor has set himself a challenge of keeping up with his snooker friend Ronnie O'Sullivan.

After recently achieving his sixth nine-dart finish at the UK Open, Taylor wants more nine-dart check-outs than O'Sullivan has got 147 breaks.

Taylor told BBC Radio Stoke: "I had dinner with him and asked him how many maximum breaks he had. He's got eight and I need to beat him.

"You need targets and my target is Ronnie O'Sullivan."

Interview: Phil Taylor

Taylor hit his sixth nine-dart finish against Jamie Harvey in Bolton, earning himself £25,000.

'The Power' eventually went out in the quarter-finals to the world number one Raymond Van Barneveld.