Stephen Bunting makes tears admission previous to World Darts Championship match
Darts ace Stephen Bunting has confessed he was close to tears prior to his match against Madars Razma, who he beat to reach the last 16 of the World Darts Championship
Stephen Bunting confessed he was on the verge of tears just before his PDC World Darts Championship clash with Madars Razma.
Bunting recorded an impressive average and nailed six maximums to triumph over Razma, who is a close friend. “I’m over the moon to get a win on that stage over one of my good friends,” Bunting shared, admitted he found it challenging to muster up the competitive spirit against Razma.
“We’re together a lot on the Pro Tour so it was really difficult for me to find the fight, to be honest.” Accompanied by his ‘Titanium’ walk-on song, Bunting once again captured the hearts of many at this tournament, reports the Express.
Speaking after his win over Razma, Bunting said: “When you listen to that crowd tonight… we did the walk-on and then did a second chorus into the walk-on. I was crying during the walk-on it was that emotional.”
Reflecting on potentally toning down his pre-game ritual, Bunting added: “Maybe I need to rein it in a tiny bit and not get so invested in the walk-on, but it is a special place to play, here in the Ally Pally. To get a win, it’s special.”
“When you’re up there and you’ve got thousands shouting your name, you know your opponent is hearing that and maybe it’s affecting them. I rode the crest of that wave and kept on. I’m so happy the Bunting bandwagon goes on.”
Bunting, the world number eight, is tearing it up at the Alexandra Palace, breezing past Kai Gotthardt in his first game and looks set to possibly top his 2021 semi-final run at the worlds.
To reach the quarter-finals, he’ll need to overcome Luke Woodhouse on Monday, who caused a stir in the third round by knocking out ninth seed Damon Heta, who exited the tournament despite nailing a nine-darter.
Bunting boasts an impressive track record against Woodhouse with eight consecutive wins, though they’ve never clashed at the World Darts Championship. “Luke is a great player,” Bunting said.
He added: “I’ve played him quite a few times and I’ve got quite a good record [against him] I believe. But this is the biggest stage of them all, so what’s gone is gone. It’s all about the future and I’ll make sure I’m 100 per cent at my best.”
