PHIL TAYLOR completed a clean sweep of Players Championship events in Wigan with a hard-fought 6-4 win over Justin Pipe to take Sunday's title at the Robin Park Tennis Centre.
Taylor backed up Saturday's Players Championship with another excellent display to take the £6,000 first prize for the second day running, coming from 4-2 down against Pipe in the final.
He began the event with 6-3 victories over Stephen Hardy and Brendan Dolan before defeating Wayne Jones by a 6-1 scoreline to reach the last eight.
Taylor then knocked out Steve Beaton with a 6-2 win and a 6-1 triumph against Wes Newton in the semi-finals set-up a clash against Pipe.
Taylor began the final in confident mood by winning the first leg in 13-darts. But Pipe stormed back to level with an 11-darter and a fabulous 164 checkout gave him a 2-1 lead.
The world number one won the fourth leg against the darts to level at two all, but Pipe won the next two legs on double two to move 4-2 ahead.
The seventh leg saw Pipe off-target with three chances to go three legs clear which allowed Taylor to step in and nick the leg by landing double two.
Taylor then won the eighth leg, capitalising on another missed dart at double from his opponent and then took the next with a clinical two-dart 88 finish to go 5-4 ahead.
The fifteen-time World Champion, then closed out the game in style by winning the 10th leg with a superb 128 checkout, with Pipe waiting on a two-darter to force a deciding leg.
Justin Pipe's run to his sixth final in the last two months, included victories over Chris Aubrey, Chris Thompson in a deciding-leg, and a 6-4 triumph against Denis Ovens in the last 16.
The Taunton ace then defeated Dave Chisnall by a 6-3 margin in the last eight, before firing in seven 180s and two 11-dart-finishes in a sensational 6-1 victory over Adrian Lewis in the semi-finals.
Former World Champion, Jelle Klaasen, agonisingly missed a dart at double 12 for a nine-dart-finish during his 6-5 second round victory over Michael Smith. The Dutch star was knocked out by Wes Newton in the following round.
There was further drama during the final Players Championship event of the year, with players battling for qualification for the Cash Converters Players Championship Finals and the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship.
Adrian Lewis' run to the semi-finals - his best performance in a Pro Tour event for six months, was not enough to see him claim a place in the Players Championship Finals at the Doncaster Dome.
Ian White's run to the last 16, which included victories over Andy Jenkins, Vincent van der Voort and Nigel Heydon, secured his place in next month's World Darts Championship via the Players Championship Order of Merit.
Monday see's the PDPA Qualifier where players such as Dennis Priestley, Wayne Mardle and Peter Manley will fight it out for the remaining final two spots in the World Championships in a knockout event in Wigan.
Players Championship 31
Sunday November 27 (Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan)
First Round
Justin Pipe (1) Bye
Chris Aubrey 6-3 Sam Allen
Chris Thompson 6-4 James Richardson (32)
Mike Nott 6-4 Ashley Holgate
Denis Ovens (16) 6-2 Kevin Dowling
Dyson Parody 6-5 Steve Grubb
Andy Smith (17) 6-2 Jimmy Mann
Kirk Shepherd 6-3 Gary Eastwood
Mervyn King (8) Bye
Darren Johnson 6-3 Wayne Atwood
Prakash Jiwa 6-3 John Henderson (25)
William O'Connor 6-4 Jason Crawley
Dave Chisnall (9) Bye
Magnus Caris 6-2 Andy Brown
Steve Brown (24) 6-0 Steven Pearson
Terry Temple 6-5 Kevin McDine
Vincent van der Voort (5) Bye
Ian White 6-4 Andy Jenkins
Nigel Heydon (28) 6-5 Adrian Gray
Louis Blundell 6-5 Steve Maish
Peter Wright (12) Bye
Matt Clark 6-1 Steve Evans
Alan Tabern (21) 6-5 Adam Smith-Neale
Tony Ayres 6-1 Mark Lawrence
Ronnie Baxter (4) Bye
Michael Mansell 6-1 Matt Padgett
Adrian Lewis (29) 6-3 Gary Mawson
Dennis Smith 6-0 Colin Monk
Colin Osborne (13) Bye
Alex Roy 6-1 Dave Ladley
Scott Rand (20) 6-4 Shaun Griffiths
Kenny MacNeil 6-1 Adrian Bolitho
Paul Nicholson (2) Bye
Peter Hudson 6-2 Nick Fulwell
Mark Stephenson 6-3 Steve Farmer (31)
Aodhagan O'Neill 6-2 Geoff Whitworth
Steve Beaton (15) Bye
Adam Hunt 6-4 Dave Honey
Mark Hylton (18) 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
Reece Robinson 6-0 Paul Schofield
Phil Taylor (7) Bye
Stephen Hardy 6-1 Andy Pearson
Michael van Gerwen (26) 6-0 Simon Burt
Brendan Dolan 6-1 John Walton
Jamie Caven (10) Bye
Robert Thornton 6-2 Mareno Michels
Wayne Jones (23) 6-5 Steve Hine
Michael Barnard 6-1 Brian Woods
Mark Walsh (6) Bye
Devon Petersen 6-2 Matthew Edgar
Arron Monk 6-5 Andy Hamilton (27)
Darren Whittingham 6-0 Jon Archer
James Wade (11) Bye
Ken Dobson 6-0 Paul Hodkin
Terry Jenkins (22) 6-3 Martyn Turner
Ian Jopling 6-4 Mick Todd
Wes Newton (3) Bye
Dave Smith 6-3 Andy Pearce
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Roland Scholten (30)
Michael Smith 6-1 Barrie Bates
Mark Webster (14) Bye
Mark Frost 6-4 Paul Rowley
Colin Lloyd (19) 6-1 Mark Jones
Joe Cullen 6-1 Tony Eccles
Second Round
Justin Pipe 6-1 Chris Aubrey
Chris Thompson 6-0 Mike Nott
Denis Ovens 6-5 Dyson Parody
Andy Smith 6-1 Kirk Shepherd
Mervyn King 6-2 Darren Johnson
Prakash Jiwa 6-3 William O'Connor
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Magnus Caris
Terry Temple 6-3 Steve Brown
Ian White 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
Nigel Heydon 6-1 Louis Blundell
Peter Wright 6-5 Matt Clark
Alan Tabern 6-3 Tony Ayres
Michael Mansell 6-1 Ronnie Baxter
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Dennis Smith
Alex Roy 6-1 Colin Osborne
Scott Rand 6-1 Kenny MacNeil
Peter Hudson 6-5 Paul Nicholson
Mark Stephenson 6-5 Aodhagan O'Neill
Steve Beaton 6-5 Adam Hunt
Mark Hylton 6-4 Reece Robinson
Phil Taylor 6-3 Stephen Hardy
Brendan Dolan 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Jamie Caven 6-3 Robert Thornton
Wayne Jones 6-1 Michael Barnard
Mark Walsh 6-3 Devon Petersen
Arron Monk 6-2 Darren Whittingham
James Wade 6-2 Ken Dobson
Terry Jenkins 6-2 Ian Jopling
Wes Newton 6-0 Dave Smith
Jelle Klaasen 6-5 Michael Smith
Mark Webster 6-1 Mark Frost
Colin Lloyd 6-1 Joe Cullen
Losers £200
Third Round
Justin Pipe 6-5 Chris Thompson
Denis Ovens 6-3 Andy Smith
Prakash Jiwa 6-2 Mervyn King
Dave Chisnall 6-0 Terry Temple
Ian White 6-2 Nigel Heydon
Peter Wright 6-1 Alan Tabern
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Michael Mansell
Scott Rand 6-3 Alex Roy
Peter Hudson 6-4 Mark Stephenson
Steve Beaton 6-2 Mark Hylton
Phil Taylor 6-3 Brendan Dolan
Wayne Jones 6-2 Jamie Caven
Mark Walsh 6-3 Arron Monk
Terry Jenkins 6-3 James Wade
Wes Newton 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
Mark Webster 6-2 Colin Lloyd
Losers £400
Fourth Round
Justin Pipe 6-4 Denis Ovens
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Prakash Jiwa
Peter Wright 6-5 Ian White
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Scott Rand
Steve Beaton 6-1 Peter Hudson
Phil Taylor 6-1 Wayne Jones
Terry Jenkins 6-0 Mark Walsh
Wes Newton 6-2 Mark Webster
Losers £600
Quarter-Finals
Justin Pipe 6-3 Dave Chisnall
Adrian Lewis 6-5 Peter Wright
Phil Taylor 6-2 Steve Beaton
Wes Newton 6-5 Terry Jenkins
Losers £1,000
Semi-Finals
Justin Pipe 6-1 Adrian Lewis
Phil Taylor 6-1 Wes Newton
Losers £2,000
Final
Phil Taylor 6-4 Justin Pipe
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000