“I didn’t expect it to be this easy” – Danny Noppert stunned by poor performance of Bunting at Winmau World Masters

Danny Noppert has booked his place in the Winmau World Masters quarterfinals without too much trouble. ‘The Freeze’ cruised past Englishman Stephen Bunting in the second round with a clear scoreline: 4-0. Noppert’s composure and his opponent’s poor doubling made the difference in a match decided quicker than expected. Defending champion Luke Humphries awaits him in the next round.

This puts Noppert in the quarterfinals of the Winmau World Masters for the second year running; last year he went even one round further. Afterward, Noppert admitted to Viaplay that he was surprised by how one-sided the match was.

“I didn’t expect it to be this easy,” said the Netherlands’ number three candidly. “But Bunting missed a lot of darts at doubles. That helps, of course.”

Bunting, a former Lakeside world champion known for his scoring power, never really found his rhythm in any set. He squandered multiple chances to close out legs, and Noppert punished him without mercy. The Frisian stayed calm, hit solid checkouts, and gave his opponent hardly any room to get back into the match.

Even so, Noppert did not want to attribute the result entirely to Bunting’s shortcomings. With a smile, he added: “But that doesn’t bother me. I hope everyone does that against me.” It typifies the Frisian’s down-to-earth approach, as he appears increasingly at ease on the big stage.

Notably, Noppert seems to have built a clear psychological edge over Bunting in recent years. He reflected on that afterward as well. “I’ve beaten him on TV quite often now, so maybe that’s in his mind,” Noppert said. “Sometimes that creeps into your head, especially when things aren’t going your way.”

Noppert will face defending champion Luke Humphries in the quarterfinals. The 35-year-old Dutchman, as always, backs his own game. “I feel good at the oche and my timing is spot on,” he said. “If I keep playing like this, I can make life difficult for a lot of guys.”

If Noppert wins his quarterfinal, a Dutch showdown with Gian van Veen could await in the semifinals. Van Veen meets James Wade in the quarters.