Stephen Bunting narrowly avoided an early exit to move into the second round of the prestigious tournament on the opening weekend.
'The Bullet', who was a beaten semi-finalist last year, was pushed all the way to a dramatic fifth leg by Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki before securing a 3-2 victory at the iconic Ally Pally venue.
A Turbulent Encounter
Bunting began in blistering fashion, averaging an incredible 119.4 to power through the opening set. He looked in total control after landing a spectacular 160 finish to claim the second set.
However, ‘The Bullet’ cooled off, and he managed just one leg over the next two sets. This let Bialecki – who remained oblivious even when a wasp settled on his shoulder – to draw level. Bunting regained his composure in the final set, but was still pushed to the limit before securing it 4-2.
“When you are playing at this venue you feel all the feelings,” Bunting told Sky Sports. “I knew Sebastian was going to be tough and even at 2-0 he never gave in. I am fortunate to get away with that one.”
Kumar Creates Landmark Victory
Bunting's second-round foe will be Nitin Kumar, who made history by becoming the initial victor from India at the event. He defeated the Netherlands' Richard Veenstra 3-2 in a thrilling contest.
The 40-year-old, who had been defeated in all four of his previous first-round matches, remarked this breakthrough could have “paved the way to a billion” darts players from his homeland.
“I’m lost for words right now. I’m overwhelmed, I’m thrilled,” Kumar stated. “Dream big, anything is achievable. I’ve dreamed of this ever since I saw Dennis Priestley win the World Championship.”
He added with a humorous prediction: “I’m sorry, a decade down the line if you have eight people in the world championship entering to Bollywood music, don’t blame me.”
Further First-Round Results
- Darren Beveridge: The Scottish debutant made an impressive start, averaging 91.62 in a dominant 3-0 win over Belgium's Dimitri Van den Bergh, who managed just one leg.
- Jonny Tata: Another debutant, from New Zealand, dashed the hopes of world No. 27 Ritchie Edhouse with a clear 3-0 victory.
- Dom Taylor: The other newcomer defeated Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak by the same 3-0 scoreline.
- Joe Cullen: The world No. 32 was in fine fettle as he comfortably defeated Bradley Brooks 3-0.
- Wesley Plaisier: The Dutch player beat Germany’s Lukas Wenig 3-1.
- James Hurrell: Concluded the evening's play with a 3-1 victory over America’s Stowe Buntz.
