Rival of Stephen Bunting leaves fans fuming with emotionless response following defeat
Unbridled Rewrite:
Stephen Bunting, a fan favorite in the darting world, managed a remarkable comeback against Daryl Gurney at the European Darts Tour, but not without a touch of contention.
In the hotly contested match at Leverkusen, Bunting, known as The Bullet, found himself in danger of an early exit, having been broken twice by Gurney. But Bunting, the Liverpudlian, turned the tables on the world No.25, mounting a late comeback to win the final two legs, sealing the deal with a 11-dart finish.
However, Gurney's response to Bunting's victory was less than graceful. As Bunting extended a gesture of sportsmanship, Gurney refused to reciprocate, walking away without making eye contact.
Bunting visibly showed surprise at Gurney's behavior, giving him a pat on the back as a token of good sportsmanship before moving on.
viewers were taken aback by Gurney's demeanor, with one commenting, "Gurney being his usual magnanimous self. What a baby." Another added, "Get a grip Gurney, acting like a child at the end of the game. Have a bit of class."
Bunting, though, appeared unfazed by the incident, as he had secured a spot in the quarter-finals and the final session.
"What an effort from The Bullet," the commentator said. "An 11-darter to win it, taking the last two legs of the match when the top ranked player at the tournament was in real danger."
Unfortunately for Bunting, his run ended in the quarters, losing 6-5 to Dutchman Wessel Nijman. Nijman, too, was eliminated in the semis, losing 7-6 to eventual winner, world No.6 Nathan Aspinall.
Aspinall clinched his second European Tour title of the year - more than any player managed in all of 2024 - with an 8-6 victory over Damon Heta in the stadium next to Bayer Leverkusen's BayArena. Aspinall has been on a rise, but he did face a setback, losing to eventual champion Luke Humphries in the semi-finals of the Premier League Darts finale at the O2 just days earlier.
Delighted with his impressive performance, Aspinall said, "I don't make games easy but in the semi-final and final I played fantastic. Credit to Damon - I thought that final was absolutely fantastic, it was a great game of darts, nip and tuck. I've been through rubbish but I'm getting back there. If you want something you have to fight, to believe you can do it. When things are not going your way, you have to keep fighting, believing that you can get back to your best."
European Darts Open final session
Quarter-FinalsDamon Heta 6-5 Matt CampbellJonny Clayton 6-3 Cameron MenziesNathan Aspinall 6-5 Chris DobeyWessel Nijman 6-5 Stephen Bunting
Semi-FinalsDamon Heta 7-3 Jonny ClaytonNathan Aspinall 7-6 Wessel Nijman
FinalNathan Aspinall 8-6 Damon Heta
[1] [https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/darts-european-tour-qualifier-gurney-loses-to-norton-2025-05-06/][3] [https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/darts/pdc-welsh-open-2025-day-two-live-updates-darts-euro-tour-stephen-bunting-24781985]
The world of sports witnessed a stirring episode in the European Darts Tour, with Stephen Bunting's victory over Daryl Gurney in the Premier League, despite a lack of sportsmanship from the latter. In a different league, the Premier League Darts finale saw Nathan Aspinall's triumph, where he displayed impressive performances and overcame setbacks.
