Justin Pipe has got 2012 off to a flyer with a 6-0 whitewash of Paul Nicholson in the final of the Spanish Darts Trophy this afternoon.

The Benidorm tournament was the first Players Championship event of the new year, and Taunton star Pipe picked right up where he left off in 2011.

The Somerset ace reached six of the final ten Players Championship tournaments last year, and claimed six victories in Benidorm to set up a final against Nicholson.

Among Pipe's scalps on his way to the final was former world champion Mark Webster, who was beaten 6-4 in the last 16.

Pipe then beat Shaun Griffiths 6-2 in the quarter-finals, and Ian White 6-4 in the semis.

In the final, any nerves Pipe had were quickly settled with a 180 in the opening leg. He took the next two legs, before checking out on 81 to go 4-0 up.

Nicholson, known as 'The Asset', missed two darts at double 18 in the fifth set, and Pipe punished him with tops to go within a leg of the trophy.

Pipe then sealed victory with a 180 followed by a double six and double seven to finish.

"It's a brilliant way to start the year," Pipe told Planet Darts. "Paul's always a tough opponent so I'm delighted to have won the final, and it wasn't as easy as the scoreline might suggest.

"I couldn't have asked for anything else today, and it's fantastic to have carried my form from the latter part of last year into 2012."