Stephen Bunting, world number four, survived a dramatic first-round scare to set up a second-round clash with Nitin Kumar, who made history as the first Indian player to win a match at the PDC World Darts Championship.
Bunting Battles Through to Round Two
Bunting required a final-set tie-break to edge past Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki 3-2 in a nervy opener at Alexandra Palace.
“I’m lucky to get away with that. I need to regroup and get back on the practice board,” Bunting told Sky Sports.
“That’s the nervous one out of the way. I’ll be better in the next round.”
Bunting started strong, averaging 119 in the first set and racing to a 2–0 lead, only for Bialecki to fight back. ‘The Bullet’ clinched the decider 4–2, finishing the match with a 96 average and hitting nine 180s.
Nitin Kumar Makes History
Earlier in the session, 40-year-old Nitin Kumar pulled off a sensational 3-2 victory over Dutchman Richard Veenstra, marking the first-ever win by an Indian player at Alexandra Palace.
“I don’t know what to say right now. I’m overwhelmed, I’m happy,” Kumar said.
“If you dream it, anything is possible. I’ve dreamed of this ever since I saw Dennis Priestley win the World Championship in 1994.”
Despite Veenstra’s high scoring, including five 100-plus finishes and a top checkout of 144, Kumar’s consistent finishing proved decisive, boasting a 75% checkout rate and hitting all of his last seven doubles.
“I’ve opened the floodgates to a billion people,” he added.
“Ten years down the line, if you see eight players walking out to Bollywood music at the World Championship, don’t blame me.”
Three-time BDO world champion Glen Durrant described the match as:
“One of the greatest games I have ever commentated on… not just for the quality, but for the impact on Indian darts.”
Other First-Round Highlights
- Dimitri van den Bergh (23) and Ritchie Edhouse (27) suffered shock exits. Van den Bergh lost 3–0 to Scottish debutant Darren Beveridge, while Edhouse was beaten 3–0 by Jonny Tata.
- Joe Cullen (32) cruised past Bradley Brooks 3–0, averaging 99.33, his second-highest on the world stage.
- Debutant Dom Taylor defeated Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak 3–0.
- Wesley Plaisier and James Hurrell both won 3–1 in the evening session over Lukas Wenig and Stowe Buntz respectively.
Sunday’s First-Round Results (Highlights)
| Player | Result |
|---|---|
| Ritchie Edhouse (27) | 0–3 Jonny Tata |
| Dom Taylor | 3–0 Oskar Lukasiak |
| Richard Veenstra | 2–3 Nitin Kumar |
| Joe Cullen (32) | 3–0 Bradley Brooks |
| Lukas Wenig | 1–3 Wesley Plaisier |
| Dimitri van den Bergh (23) | 0–3 Darren Beveridge |
| Stephen Bunting (4) | 3–2 Sebastian Bialecki |
| James Hurrell | 3–1 Stowe Buntz |
Upcoming Matches (Monday, 15 December)
Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)
- Brendan Dolan v Tavis Dudeney
- Cameron Menzies (26) v Charlie Manby
- Mensur Suljovic v David Cameron
- Peter Wright (30) v Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Evening session (19:00 GMT)
- Martin Lukeman v Max Hopp
- Dirk van Duijvenbode (29) v Andy Baetens
- Jonny Clayton (5) v Adam Lipscombe
- Connor Scutt v Simon Whitlock
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