Stephen Bunting avoided a huge upset as he edged past Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki 3-2 in the first round of the World Darts Championship.
Bunting squandered a 2-0 lead in sets after a superb start and was taken to the first extended deciding set at this year’s tournament, winning it 4-2 in legs.
‘The Bullet’ will next face India’s Nitin Kumar, who made history by becoming the first player from his country to win a match at the World Championship earlier on Sunday.
“Playing at Ally Pally you go through all the emotions. I was lucky to get away with that one,” Bunting told Sky Sports Darts.
“I need to regroup, get back on the practice board, and get ready for the next game. I heard Toby [my son] shouting my name, I have got great support behind me, great family.
“That is the nervous one out of the way. I promise I will be better in the next round.”
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Watch the hilarious wind-up as the world’s top darts players are pranked by Emma Paton and Mark Webster ahead of the World Championship. (Pictures: @paddypower)
Bunting came out of the blocks flying with a 119.40 average to claim the first set and was producing some of his best darts in the last six months.
He continued that rampage in the second set with two ton-plus checkouts of 121 and 160. However, his level suddenly dropped and Bialecki won all three legs in a row to take the third set.
The Pole made that five consecutive legs by breaking early in the fourth and held that advantage to take the rollercoaster contest into a deciding set.
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Bunting hits ton-plus finishes against Sebastian Bialecki
Bunting stepped up his game with some big scoring but Bialecki held throw and was within one leg of victory at 2-1, only for Bunting to hold his nerve and send the match to a tie-break situation where a player has to win by two clear legs.
Bunting, a semi-finalist last year at the World Championship, broke his opponent’s throw and got over the line with D18 to seal a place in the second round.
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Darren Beveridge defeated Dimitri Van den Burgh in straight sets on his World Darts Championship debut
Dimitri Van den Bergh’s nightmare 2025 concluded with a first-round defeat to Scottish debutant Darren Beveridge as he was whitewashed 3-0.
Van den Bergh had not played televised darts since April after deciding to take a break from the sport to focus on his health and well-being.
The Belgian only played in the behind-closed-doors Players Championship events in the run-up to the World Championship and he was found out by an impressive Beveridge, who only lost one leg.
Elsewhere in the evening, Dutchman Wesley Plaisier beat Germany’s Lukas Wenig 3-1 to set up a possible match against Gerwyn Price.
Cullen rocks Ally Pally as Kumar makes history
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Nitin Kumar beats Richard Veenstra in the first round of the World Championship
Nitin Kumar made history by becoming the first Indian to win a match at the World Championship.
He defeated Dutchman Richard Veenstra 3-2 with 9/12 on the doubles. ‘The Royal Bengal’ defied five ton-plus finishes from the Dutchman to advance to the next round.
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Kumar gives his reaction after beating Veenstra
Joe Cullen recorded his second-highest World Championship average in a magnificent win over favourite Bradley Brooks. Cullen averaged 99, hit five maximums and a high checkout of 116 as he won nine of the 11 legs on offer in an impressive victory.
Debutant Dom Taylor stormed to an impressive straight-sets victory, restricting Oskar Lukasiak to just one leg won across the match.
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Dom Taylor impressed on his Ally Pally debut in a first round win over Oskar Lukasiak at the World Championship with three 100+ checkouts
The 27-year-old Bristolian nailed three ton-plus checkouts 114, 110 and 100 en route to victory. And Jonny Tata defeated former European Champion Ritchie Edhouse 3-0 in a whitewash victory on debut.
The Kiwi became the first New Zealander to win since the 2019 Worlds, where Cody Harris defeated Martin Schindler.
What’s next?
Day 5 on Monday at the World Darts Championship sees another bumper double session day of action live on Sky Sports Darts.
In the afternoon, Brendan Dolan kicks things off against Tavis Dudeney, before Cameron Menies plays Charlie Manby and Mensur Suljovic faces David Cameron. The session concludes with Peter Wright vs Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
In the evening from 7pm, we see Martin Lukeman vs Max Hopp, Dirk van Duijvenbode vs Andy Baetens, Jonny Clayton vs Adam Lipscombe and Connor Scutt vs Simon Whitlock.
Who will win the Paddy Power World Darts Championship? Watch every match exclusively live until January 3 on Sky Sports’ dedicated darts channel (Sky channel 407). Stream darts and more top sport with NOW.