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Stephen Bunting survived a monumental scare to move into the next stage of the prestigious tournament on Sunday.

The Merseysider, who was a beaten semi-finalist last year, was pushed all the way to a deciding tie-breaker by Poland’s Sebastian Bialecki before finally clinching a hard-fought victory at Alexandra Palace.

A Turbulent Encounter

Bunting began in blistering fashion, averaging an incredible 119.4 to power through the first set. He looked in total control after hitting a spectacular 160 finish to seize the second set.

However, ‘The Bullet’ cooled off, and he won just one leg over the subsequent two sets. This allowed Bialecki – who remained unfazed even when a wasp settled on his shoulder – to pull back. Bunting steadied himself in the decider, but was still pushed to the limit before winning it 4-2.

“When you are playing at this venue you experience all the feelings,” Bunting explained to broadcasters. “I was aware Sebastian was going to be tough and even at 2-0 he never surrendered. I am lucky to come through that one.”

Kumar Secures Landmark Win

Bunting's next opponent will be Nitin Kumar, who achieved a first by becoming the pioneering Indian at the tournament. He defeated Dutchman Richard Veenstra 3-2 in a closely-fought contest.

The veteran player, who had been defeated in all four of his previous first-round matches, suggested this landmark win could have “paved the way to a billion” darts players from India.

“Words fail me at this moment. I’m overwhelmed, I’m happy,” Kumar stated. “If you dream it, anything is achievable. This was my dream ever since I saw Dennis Priestley win the World Championship.”

He added with a humorous warning: “I’m sorry, ten years from now if you have multiple players in the world championship entering to Indian film songs, you know who started it.”

Additional First-Round Results

• Darren Beveridge: The Scotland's debutant made an convincing start, averaging 91.62 in a comprehensive 3-0 win over Belgium's Dimitri Van den Bergh, who won just one leg.
• Jonny Tata: Another debutant, from New Zealand, ended the hopes of world No. 27 Ritchie Edhouse with a commanding 3-0 victory.
• Dom Taylor: The fellow newcomer defeated Sweden’s Oskar Lukasiak by the identical 3-0 margin.
• Joe Cullen: The world No. 32 was in good form 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 American Stowe Buntz.