Climbing into the world’s top 16 and retaining his Pro Tour crown top rising darts star Justin Pipe’s targets for this year.

The Force, from North Curry near Langport, stamped his mark on the PDC circuit in 2011 by climbing to 21st in the global rankings and coming first on the floor.

Pipe has started his Pro Tour defence in clinical fashion, winning the first day of last month’s Benidorm event and ending a beaten finalist on the second.

Last weekend in Crawley the 40-year-old booked his place in June’s Speedy Hire UK Open in Bolton, reaching rounds one and four on days won by Wes Newton and Michael Van Gerwen respectively.

Pipe said: “We all have to set goals and one of mine is obviously to do better than I did last year. My own personal goal is to make the world’s top 16 and to retain my number one status on the floor, that is what I really want to do.

“To walk into the world’s biggest darts competition on that day knowing that you are number one seed, looking around and seeing Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson, James Wade and Adrian Lewis makes you feel very good.”

Steadily improving performances on the floor from Pipe were eventually rewarded with victory in the Pro Tour in Ireland last October. He followed that up with final 32 and 16 finishes in the Grand Slam of Darts and World Championships respectively.

Pipe’s progress was then recognised by his peers with the Professional Darts Players Association players’ player accolade.

Pipe said: “My form did not surprise me because I had been playing like that all the time in practice and playing really well. A lot of the top boys said they were expecting it to come so it did not really surprise, but it probably did surprise me in the way that it did come.

“My first Pro Tour win was beating Phil Taylor and who better to beat for your first win than the man himself? The award is a pat on the back, really, and is acknowledgment of what they think of you.

“If you look at as something that puts pressure on you then you are not mentally strong and you have got to be mentally strong for darts.

“I know what the other players think of me and what high regard they stand me in because after the awards night I was voted the players’ player of the year. Things like that give you a boost as it makes you realise what your fellow professionals think of you.”