The Merseyside thrower Survives Huge Fright while 'The Royal Bengal' Secures A Landmark for Indian Darts.
Stephen Bunting narrowly avoided an early exit to move into the next stage of the prestigious tournament on the opening weekend.
The Merseysider, who reached beaten semi-finalist last year, was forced all the way to a deciding tie-breaker by Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki before securing a 3-2 victory at the iconic Ally Pally venue.
A Turbulent Encounter
Bunting stormed out of the blocks, averaging an incredible 119.4 to power through the first set. Victory seemed assured after landing a spectacular 160 finish to seize the second set.
Yet, his momentum stalled, and he won just one leg over the subsequent two sets. This enabled Bialecki – who remained unfazed even when a wasp landed on his shoulder – to pull back. Bunting regained his composure in the final set, but was still taken to the wire before winning it 4-2.
“Competing at Alexandra Palace you experience all the emotions,” Bunting told Sky Sports. “I was aware Sebastian was going to be tough and even at 2-0 he never surrendered. I am lucky to come through that one.”
Kumar Secures Groundbreaking Victory
Bunting's next opponent will be Nitin Kumar, who achieved a first by becoming the initial victor from India at the tournament. He beat Dutchman Richard Veenstra 3-2 in a closely-fought contest.
The veteran player, who had been defeated in all four of his previous first-round appearances, implied this landmark win could have “created a pathway to a billion potential” darts players from India.
“Words fail me right now. I’m ecstatic, I’m thrilled,” Kumar stated. “If you dream it, anything is achievable. I’ve dreamed of this ever since I watched Dennis Priestley win the World Championship.”
He added with a light-hearted prediction: “I’m sorry, a decade down the line if you have multiple players in the world championship walking on to Indian film songs, don’t blame me.”
Further First-Round Action
- Darren Beveridge: The Scottish debutant made an strong start, averaging 91.62 in a one-sided 3-0 win over Belgium's Dimitri Van den Bergh, who won just one leg.
- Jonny Tata: Another debutant, from New Zealand, dashed the hopes of world No. 27 Ritchie Edhouse with a commanding 3-0 victory.
- Dom Taylor: The other newcomer beat Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak by the same 3-0 scoreline.
- Joe Cullen: The world No. 32 was in fine fettle as he eased past Bradley Brooks 3-0.
- Wesley Plaisier: The Dutch player beat Germany’s Lukas Wenig 3-1.
- James Hurrell: Rounded off the evening's play with a 3-1 victory over America’s Stowe Buntz.
