Stephen Bunting produced a string of outstanding performances to clinch his fourth title of 2025 on Tuesday, defeating Jermaine Wattimena 8-5 to celebrate Players Championship 18 glory in Leicester.
Bunting has claimed a brace of World Series titles in Bahrain and Copenhagen this year, and having also lifted a maiden European Tour crown in April's International Darts Open, he added to his title tally with an inspired afternoon's work at the Mattioli Arena.
The 40-year-old produced six ton-plus averages en route to glory in the East Midlands, following up a 6-2 demolition of William Borland with successive 6-3 wins against Ian White and European Champion Ritchie Edhouse.
His best display saw him average 106.43 in his last 16 success against Alan Soutar, before he fought back from 5-4 down to defeat Czech number one Karel Sedlacek in the last eight.
Bunting then came through another last-leg decider in the semi-finals, firing in a 12-darter to deny top seed Dave Chisnall and set up a winner-takes-all showdown against Wattimena.
The Dutchman drew first blood in Tuesday’s showpiece, but Bunting soon took control with a five-leg burst - featuring 164 and 156 finishes - to surge into a commanding 5-1 lead.
Wattimena responded by winning four of the next five legs to threaten an unlikely comeback, only for Bunting to conjure up a spectacular 11-dart leg to seal the third Players Championship title of his career.
“I think I’ve only had two averages under 100 over the last two days, so I’m really pleased,” reflected Bunting, who lost in all six of the Players Championship finals he contested in 2024.
“When you lose in finals you’ve got to learn from it. I’ve had some tough games today, so that resilience is something I can be really proud of.
“I really enjoyed the Premier League this year. I’ve won on the European Tour and I’ve played well on the World Series circuit, so I came into this week with massive confidence, especially after winning in Copenhagen.
“I’m so happy that my consistency is there. I’m playing with a smile on my face, and when I’ve got a smile on my face, I’m dangerous!”
Despite missing out on a maiden ranking title, Wattimena’s exploits in Leicester have put him in a terrific position to qualify for next month’s World Matchplay, with three just events remaining before the qualification cut-off.
The Dutchman kicked off his campaign with a 105 average in a narrow 6-4 win against Darryl Pilgrim, and after sweeping aside Carl Sneyd, he defied a 102 average from newly crowned World Cup champion Josh Rock to book his place in the last 16.
Wattimena’s 6-5 victory over Rock sparked a run of four consecutive deciding-leg wins, as the European Championship runner-up came through gruelling battles against Ryan Searle, Mike De Decker and Niels Zonneveld to pocket the £10,000 runner-up prize.
Zonneveld also impressed in his run to the last four, overcoming German number one Martin Schindler and ten-time TV title winner James Wade to progress to his second Players Championship semi-final of the campaign.
The left-hander succumbed at the same stage as St Helens star Chisnall, who bounced back from his opening round defeat on Tuesday with wins over Martin Lukeman, Mervyn King and Cam Crabtree in the latter stages of Wednesday’s event.
Crabtree enjoyed his best run in a senior ranking event since July 2024, advancing to the quarter-finals alongside Sedlacek, World Grand Prix champion De Decker and Denmark’s number one Benjamin Reus.
Ross Smith and Danny Noppert produced the stand-out performances of the day in Leicester, averaging 111 and 110 to see off Norway’s Cor Dekker and former Lakeside Champion Jelle Klaasen respectively.
Ryan Searle also landed a brace of 108 averages before losing out to Wattimena in the last 16, while Gerwyn Price, Gary Anderson and Tuesday’s runner-up Dirk van Duijvenbode all suffered surprise first round exits.
This week’s PDC ProTour treble-header now concludes with Players Championship 19 on Thursday, with coverage from four streaming boards set to be broadcast live through PDCTV.
The event draw and results are listed in the Match Centre.
Click here for match stats through DartConnect.
2025 Players Championship 18
Wednesday June 18
Mattioli Arena, Leicester
Last 16
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Mervyn King
Cam Crabtree 6-3 Callan Rydz
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Alan Soutar
Karel Sedlacek 6-2 Damon Heta
Niels Zonneveld 6-1 James Wade
Benjamin Reus 6-4 Jonny Clayton
Mike De Decker 6-0 Ross Smith
Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Ryan Searle
Quarter-Finals
Dave Chisnall 6-4 Cam Crabtree
Stephen Bunting 6-5 Karel Sedlacek
Niels Zonneveld 6-5 Benjamin Reus
Jermaine Wattimena 6-5 Mike De Decker
Semi-Finals
Stephen Bunting 7-6 Dave Chisnall
Jermaine Wattimena 7-6 Niels Zonneveld
Final
Stephen Bunting 8-5 Jermaine Wattimena