Bullet hits back: Stephen Bunting takes down German debutant Kai Gotthardt surviving World Darts Championship scare
PDCStephen Bunting as the eighth seed this tournament comes in with new pressure as he looks even to bookend potential Premier League spots and not become another big name to fall and he nearly was at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship.
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Bunting came from a set down to reel off seven legs on the spin and see off German debutant Kai Gotthardt to claim his place in Round Three 3-1. He would've feared the worst especially with Michael Smith's early loss.
Many of the top names have either struggled or surged through so far and Bunting thankfully for his own hopes takes his spot through.
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Bunting would've been fearing the worst early on. It was a dream start for the German as he wrapped up the opening set 3-1 with a 98.3 average, three 180's and 3/3 on the outer ring.
But Bunting nearly was 2-0 down in quick succession as his skin was very much saved. He watched Gotthardt miss three set darts at double eight in the decider before turning to level the contest. This started his turnaround.
Bunting raced through the third set without reply to fully turn the contest on its head in a real Flip Reverse. This continued with Bunting pinning 108 to go 1-0 up and he surged ahead from there. He broke with Gotthardt unable to even get a chance at 170 no mind hit it.
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The race of the German was firmly run as Bunting pinned a 68 checkout to seal the win. He now returns after Christmas and it curtails the session early with Sandro Eric Sosing unfortunately having chest discomfort and having to withdraw.
This gave Ian White a bye through and now Mickey Mansell and Tomoya Goto will be the next match to kick off tonight's evening session just after 7pm.
BUNTING COMPLETES THE COMEBACK!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 20, 2024
Stephen Bunting survives an early scare to see off Kai Gotthardt, reeling off seven consecutive legs to book his place in the third round!
📺 https://t.co/pIQvhqYxEj #WCDarts | R2 pic.twitter.com/XOqiqGr1FQ

Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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