Justin Pipe continued where he left off last season by taking the first Players Championship event of 2012, with a 6-0 whitewash over Paul Nicholson in the Spanish Darts Trophy final.
Pipe, beat welshman Mark Webster 6-4 in the last 16 before overcoming Youth Tour player Shaun Griffiths who had his best run in a PDC event reaching the 1/4 finals.
In the semi-finals a 6-4 win over former NOTW finalist Ian White who had earlier hit a 9 dart finish in his first round match.
Nicholson, got the better of Co Stompe in the last 16 before a last leg deciding win over Steve Beaton moved him into the semi-finals against Swedens Magnus Caris, but the aussie ace moved on to the final with a 6-2 win.
BDO newcomers Ted Hankey, Tony West & Dean Winstanley all lost early in the event with Hankey losing out to Q-School Tour Card winner Mathew Edgar in a preliminary game, Winstanley beat Youth Player Paul Barham before going out to Belgian Kim Huybrechts in the first round and Tony West going down to Andy Smith in the same round.
The tournament featured 28 of the world’s top 32 players as the opening PDC ProTour event of the year takes place.
Selected games during the early rounds, plus the semi-finals and final, are being played on stage.
All matches are the best of 11 legs.
Players Championship 1 (Saturday) Preliminary Round
Jose Garcia Ruiz 6-1 Christof Leurs
Nick Fullwell 6-3 Martin Marti
John Bowles 6-0 Jose Luis Torres
Matthew Edgar 6-4 Ted Hankey
Roland Scholten 6-3 Christian Kallinger
Jesus Noguera 6-1 Jesus Gonzalez
Sam Hill 6-4 Eric Basullas
Chris Thompson 6-1 Dennis Smith
William O’Connor 6-2 Boris Krcmar
Devon Petersen 6-4 Paul Rowley
Rudy Van Der Zande 6-2 Justin Broton
Alex Roy 6-0 Jose Antonio Alvarez
Peter Manley 6-2 Mark Stephenson
Darren Webster 6-3 Steve Hine
Michael Mansell 6-0 Darren Johnson
Kirk Shepherd 6-1 Peter Hudson
Gino Vos 6-2 Dylan Duo
Dean Winstanley 6-2 Paul Barham (stage game 1)
Kim Huybrechts 6-0 Simon Craven
First Round
Justin Pipe (1) 6-1 Eduardo Sales Lopez
Michael Barnard 6-2 Barrie Bates
Michael Smith (32) 6-0 Dyson Parody
Jose Garcia Ruiz 6-4 Steve Grubb
Mark Webster (16) 6-3 Joe Murnan
Prakash Jiwa 6-1 Chris Mason
Denis Ovens (17) 6-0 Jose Luis Rodriguez
Nick Fullwell 6-4 John Bowles
Shaun Griffiths 6-4 Dave Chisnall (8)
Kurt Van De Rijck 6-5 Chris Aubrey
Colin Lloyd (25) 6-4 Antonio Alcinas (stage game 4)
Matthew Edgar 6-2 Ross Smith
Adrian Gray 6-2 Simon Whitlock (9)
Mick Todd 6-3 Brian Woods
Alan Tabern (24) 6-3 Stefanie Luck
Steve Evans 6-4 Roland Scholten
Vincent van der Voort (5) 6-3 Steve Maish
Julio Barbero 6-1 Manolo Vilerio
Terry Jenkins (28) 6-0 Jesus Sanchez
Jesus Noguera 6-0 Jon Archer
Colin Osborne (12) 6-1 Mareno Michels
Keith Stephen 6-0 Oleg Schuwalow
Ian White 6-4 Mark Hylton (21) – Ian White hits nine-dart finish
Matt Clark 6-1 Sam Hill
John Part (4) 6-1 Carlos Rodriguez (stage game 2)
Darren Whittingham 6-2 Toon Greebe
Jerry Hendriks 6-5 Michael van Gerwen (29)
Chris Thompson 6-1 Ignacio Basullas
Steve Brown (13) 6-0 Armando Jesus Frias
Jose Antonio Justicia 6-0 Guillermo Corella
Andy Smith (20) 6-4 Tony West
William O’Connor 6-2 Jacinto Nieto
Wes Newton (2) 6-0 David Jiminez
Antonio Jiminez 6-0 Manuel Fernandez Josende
John Henderson (31) 6-4 Jose de Sousa
Kevin McDine 6-5 Devon Petersen
James Wade (15) 6-3 Terry Temple
Jelle Klaasen 6-0 Abel Alvarez
Kevin Painter (18) 6-2 Adam Smith-Neale (stage game 5)
Alex Roy 6-0 Rudy van der Zande
Mervyn King (7) 6-2 Jyhan Artut
Arron Monk 6-1 Tomas Cristobal
Magnus Caris 6-3 Richie Burnett (26)
Dave Smith 6-2 Peter Manley
Jamie Caven (10) 6-5 Sergio Garcia
Javier Caurel 6-2 Rafael Leon
Wayne Jones (23) 6-1 Stefan Schaffer
Darren Webster 6-0 Michael Kraemer
Ronnie Baxter (6) 6-5 James Richardson
Mark Dudbridge 6-5 Bernd Roith
Raymond van Barneveld (27) 6-0 Juan Carlos Albaldejo
Michael Mansell 6-4 Diego Rufo
Mark Walsh (11) 6-4 Mensur Suljovic
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Nigel Heydon (stage game 3)
Scott Rand (22) 6-2 Reece Robinson
Joe Cullen 6-4 Kirk Shepherd
Paul Nicholson (3) 6-1 Jairo Galcera
Toni Munoz 6-2 Simon Barker-Davies
Co Stompe (30) 6-3 Carlos Jiminez
James Hubbard 6-4 Gino Vos
Peter Wright (14) 6-2 Kevin Munch
Andy Hamilton 6-0 Bernd Schmidt
Steve Beaton (19) 6-1 Jamie Lewis
Kim Huybrechts 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Second Round
Justin Pipe 6-2 Michael Barnard
Michael Smith 6-3 Jose Garcia Ruiz
Mark Webster 6-2 Prakash Jiwa
Nick Fullwell 6-1 Denis Ovens
Shaun Griffiths 6-2 Kurt Van De Rijck
Colin Lloyd 6-4 Matthew Edgar
Adrian Gray 6-4 Mick Todd
Alan Tabern 6-4 Steve Evans
Vincent van der Voort 6-1 Julio Barbero
Terry Jenkins 6-0 Jesus Noguera
Keith Stephen 6-5 Colin Osborne
Ian White 6-0 Matt Clark
Darren Whittingham 6-2 John Part
Jerry Hendriks v Chris Thompson
Steve Brown 6-3 Jose Antonio Justicia
Andy Smith 6-5 William O’Connor
Wes Newton 6-1 Antonio Jiminez
John Henderson 6-2 Kevin McDine
James Wade 6-1 Jelle Klaasen
Alex Roy 6-4 Kevin Painter
Arron Monk 6-5 Mervyn King
Magnus Caris 6-3 Dave Smith
Jamie Caven 6-0 Javier Caurel
Darren Webster 6-5 Wayne Jones
Ronnie Baxter 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
Raymond van Barneveld 6-1 Michael Mansell
Mark Walsh 6-2 Brendan Dolan
Joe Cullen 6-5 Scott Rand
Paul Nicholson 6-1 Toni Munoz
Co Stompe 6-4 James Hubbard
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Peter Wright
Steve Beaton 6-0 Kim Huybrechts (stage game 6)
Losers £200
Third Round
Justin Pipe 6-3 Michael Smith
Mark Webster 6-2 Nick Fullwell
Shaun Griffiths 6-5 Colin Lloyd
Adrian Gray 6-5 Alan Tabern
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
Ian White 6-5 Keith Stephen
Darren Whittingham 6-5 Jimmy Hendriks
Steve Brown 6-5 Andy Smith
Wes Newton 6-2 John Henderson
James Wade 6-4 Alex Roy
Magnus Caris 6-4 Arron Monk
Darren Webster 6-3 Jamie Caven
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Mark Walsh 6-2 Joe Cullen
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Co Stompe
Steve Beaton 6-5 Andy Hamilton
Losers £400
Fourth Round
Justin Pipe 6-4 Mark Webster
Shaun Griffiths 6-2 Adrian Gray
Ian White 6-5 Terry Jenkins
Darren Whittingham 6-2 Steve Brown
Wes Newton 6-3 James Wade
Magnus Caris 6-4 Darren Webster
Mark Walsh 6-5 Raymond van Barneveld
Paul Nicholson 6-5 Steve Beaton
Losers £600
Quarter-Finals
Justin Pipe 6-2 Shaun Griffiths
Ian White 6-2 Darren Whittingham
Magnus Caris 6-5 Wes Newton
Paul Nicholson 6-3 Mark Walsh
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Justin Pipe 6-4 Ian White
Paul Nicholson 6-2 Magnus Caris
Losers £2,000
Final
Justin Pipe 6-0 Paul Nicholson
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000
Semi-Finals
Magnus Caris v Paul Nicholson
0-1 – Nicholson kicks off the match with back-to-back 180s and also hits a seventh treble 20, but misses the treble 15 to end his hopes of a nine-darter, although he takes the leg to lead.
0-2 – Caris misses two darts at tops and Nicholson steps in to double his lead.
0-3 – Caris opens with a 180 but misses double top and double ten to allow Nicholson back in, and he finishes double 16 for a three-leg cushion.
1-3 – Caris regains his range on tops to get off the mark.
1-4 – Nicholson finishes 65 with an outer bull-double top combination.
2-4 – Caris takes out 43 on tops for his second leg of the match.
2-5 – Nicholson opens the leg with a 180 and finishes 100 in two darts for an 11-dart leg as he moves one away from victory.
2-6 – Nicholson completes the win in style, finishing 78 with an improvised checkout of treble one, outer bull and bullseye.
Match Averages: Magnus Caris 102.72, Paul Nicholson 101.64
Justin Pipe v Ian White
1-0 – Pipe takes an immediate break of throw on double top.
2-0 – Pipe hits a 180 and double eight to take the second leg.
2-1 – White strikes back by hitting double 16 to win the third.
2-2 – The pair trade 180s before White superbly takes out 121 on double 14.
2-3 – Pipe hits two 180s in the leg but pays for missed darts at the bull, double eight and double four as White steps in on double eight to lead.
3-3 – Pipe levels after being handed a reprieve following three missed doubles as White failed to finish 138, allowing him back in on double six.
4-3 – Pipe breaks throw to regain the lead.
4-4 – White hits back to level by finishing 71 on tops.
5-4 – Double eight puts Pipe a leg away from a place in the final.
6-4 – Pipe misses double 18 for a 156 checkout to take the win, but returns to hit the bed and seal victory.
Match Averages: Justin Pipe 97.41, Ian White 91.98
Final
Justin Pipe v Paul Nicholson
1-0 – Pipe hits a 180 in the process of taking the first leg.
2-0 – Pipe doubles his advantage with double six, having missed double 12 for a 144 finish in his previous visit.
3-0 – This time Pipe lands double 12 to move three legs clear with a second break of throw.
4-0 – Pipe finishes 81 in two darts to edge closer to victory.
5-0 – Nicholson misses two darts at double 18 for a 96 finish, and Pipe steps in to hit tops with a brilliant third dart, having partially blocked the bed with his first two darts.
6-0 – Pipe opens with a 180 and is handed a reprieve for a missed double 13 for the match as he returns to take out the combination with double six and double seven.
Match Averages: Justin Pipe 96.96, Paul Nicholson, 93.39