Cross crashes out and Bunting survives a massive scare on Day One of the 2025 Winmau World Masters
The new-look 2025 Winmau World Masters got underway on Thursday night in Milton Keynes, with Luke Humphries and Stephen Bunting headlining the 16 players in action.
Josh Rock had to cancel any proposed honeymoon plans ahead of this weeks inaugural PDC Winmau World Masters after getting married just last week. The Northern Irishman had also recently signed for a new manufacturer and made sure to silence any critics of his new equipment with a brilliant 3-1 win over qualifier Jermaine Wattimena.
Ross Smith was also using new equipment as well as a new walk-on song against World Number 8 Damon Heta. Smith, however, didn’t get the performance he was hoping for, hitting just 4/21 darts at double as Heta ran out a 3-1 winner in sets.
Rob Cross started his opening game in magnificent fashion, winning the first three legs to take an early lead against William O’Connor. ‘The Magpie’ booked his spot in Thursday night’s action courtesy of a win against Richard Veenstra in the qualifiers and took that format experience into the first round. It was the Irishman who turned the game on its head in no time at all, winning the next three sets to stun Rob Cross, pinning a tremendous 151 checkout to win.
Gerwyn Price flew out of the blocks in his match against Florian Hempel, averaging a strong 105 after the first two sets. Hempel was not at the races and Price cruised to an impressive 3-0 win over the German.
The matchup between Peter Wright and Kevin Doets was the first Winmau World Masters game of the night to go to a fifth and final set. Doets started the final set with a 180 and held his throw to take the lead, but it was Wright who held his own to take it to a deciding leg. The former two-time world champion will be looking to have a more consistent 2025 and a 3-2 win will definitely fill him with confidence.
Next up was the World Number One Luke Humphries who was looking to bounce back after failing to defend his World Championship title. In just under 8 minutes, ‘Cool Hand’ had a 2-0 lead in sets with Cullen being left behind in no time. The former Masters champion did get a set back after Humphries missed match darts, but the reigning Matchplay champion held on to get his maiden Winmau World Masters win.
The reigning Masters champion Stephen Bunting got his maiden PDC major title defence underway against a surprise qualifier in World Number 91 William Borland. It was the Scotsman who took a shock 1-0 lead in sets, before extending his lead to 2-0 to put ‘The Bullet’ on the brink of elimination with a magnificent 170 finish. Bunting, however, fought back in the next two sets and levelled it up with a brilliant 11 darter. For the second time this evening, a match went all the way to a third and deciding leg in the fifth set, with Stephen Bunting holding his nerve to book his place in the Last 16.
Michael Smith was left out of the Premier League lineup for the first time since 2017 and was coming into the Winmau World Masters outside of the World’s Top 16. His opponent, Danny Noppert, punished a very slow start from the former World Champion to take an early advantage. Michael Smith showed his class to win the second set though, a magnificent 160 checkout with Noppert left on tops. ‘Bullyboy’ failed to use this as a catalyst as he let the Dutch Number Two win consecutive sets to end the nights action with a 3-1 win.
2025 Winmau World Masters
Thursday January 30
First Round x8
Josh Rock 3-1 Jermaine Wattimena (2-1, 0-2, 2-0, 2-1)
Damon Heta 3-1 Ross Smith (2-1, 0-2, 2-0, 2-1)
William O’Connor 3-1 Rob Cross (0-2, 2-1, 2-0, 2-1)
Gerwyn Price 3-0 Florian Hempel (2-0, 2-0, 2-1)
Peter Wright 3-2 Kevin Doets (1-2, 2-0, 0-2, 2-1, 2-1)
Luke Humphries 3-1 Joe Cullen (2-1, 2-0, 1-2, 2-0)
Stephen Bunting 3-2 William Borland (0-2, 1-2, 2-0, 2-1, 2-1)
Danny Noppert 3-1 Michael Smith (2-0, 1-2, 2-1, 2-1)