ROBERT THORNTON admits he faces a tough test against Adrian Lewis tonight.

Scottish darts ace Thornton, 40, takes on the No6 seed in the first round of the Las Vegas Desert Classic after battling through qualifying.

We caught up with Thorn and got a glimpse of his Vegas diary ...

FRIDAY, JUNE 27

TOUCHED down in the bright lights of Vegas in the evening - a spectacular sight with the strip fully illuminated.

Straight to my hotel The Tropicana - sounds a bit too Wham! and a bit too camp for my liking.

In that song the drinks were free but the stark reality kicks in very quickly that this isn’t a holiday.

That means straight to bed - it’s a vital week ahead.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28

TROPICAL it certainly is, the weather is scorching at 110 degrees.

I’m not a big fan of the heat being a typically fair-skinned Scot, so it’s going to be important to stay in the shade. It’s roasting.

For me it’s all about practice today and I go across the road to the Mandalay Bay Hotel which is hosting the Desert Classic.

But I’ve well and truly have misjudged the jet lag - we are eight hours behind UK time and I manage to get in a few hours practice before going straight back to bed to make sure I’m sharp enough for the Players’ Championship on Sunday.

I’m in Vegas and I’m not drinking or gambling. Rubbish!

SUNDAY, JUNE 29

THIS is where the serious stuff begins. The Players’ title is a prelude to the main event but still crucially counts towards the PDC rankings.

I still don’t feel that great. Jet lag is a weird thing and I’m not 100 per cent.

And then I have a disaster against outsider John Quantock, losing 3-2 and crashing out in the first round. I’m just not hitting my doubles.

That’s a tough result to take but I’ve just got to forget about it and concentrate on the Desert Classic now.

MONDAY, JUNE 30

UP early, amazing Vegas is outside but I spend all morning at the dartboard with James Wade practising.

Phew and what a day it is. It’s a massive relief for me to beat Isaac Julian and Keith Bedding 5-1 to get back to winning ways.

UK Open finalist Gary Mawson is on my side of the draw but is surprisingly beaten by Robert Watson-Lang so my toughest clash is against world No16 Andy Jenkins and I managed to win 5-2.

I have one more match against Joe Slivan and victory sees me qualify for the Classic but it’s been a hard day with so many matches.

And that almost takes its toll. Joe leads 4-3 and has a shot at the double to win but misses. Thankfully I take the leg and then the decider and I’m through.

TUESDAY, JULY 1

MUCH happier with myself today after qualifying.

I’m now in the main event and live on Sky Sports which is vital for my sponsors PartyPoker.com, ICR Solutions and Tom Morrow Tarpaulins who are paying for me to compete in these tournaments.

Back at the practice board for the rest of the day and watch other qualifying matches and the draw for the Classic first round ...and I get Adrian Lewis.

It’s a tough one but if I’m going to make an impact at the PDC I need to take the big names.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2

JUST practising all day with James. The event is now on TV and my match against Adrian is the tie of the round. I simply have to be at my best to beat him - Thursday night is my toughest test yet. Can’t wait.

Las Vegas Desert Classic live on Sky Sports 1 (7pm).

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