Stephen Bunting has set his sights firmly on the World Darts Championship title after a convincing 10-3 victory over Kim Huybrechts at the European Championship in Dortmund on Saturday afternoon. The Englishman was far too strong for the Belgian, booking his place in the quarter-finals and appearing to rediscover his form after a difficult period. Speaking to DartsNews.com after the match, 'The Bullet' opened up about his renewed confidence, his new darts, and his ambitions for the coming months.
Bunting was visibly pleased with his performance, particularly his scoring power and finishing. "Yeah, I felt great. I felt really good. I had a good night's sleep last night. Coming to the venue, obviously, it's always difficult when it's so early. I didn't get to the venue until just after 10 o'clock this morning, so to get over the line and play the way I did, I was happy with the performance, with the doubles," he said. The victory marks his first televised quarter-final since last year's World Matchplay, and Bunting believes his new 21-gram darts have played a crucial role in his resurgence. "I'm happy with the 21g, so I need to speak to Target now and tell them to make me 21g, not 23g," he joked.
Reflecting on his dip in form, Bunting admitted it was primarily down to a lack of confidence. "Yeah, I always believe I belong, but obviously, when you're searching for wins and searching for confidence, it becomes a long and lonely road, doesn't it? You see everyone playing well and pulling away from you, and it's difficult to take. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but I've worked really hard to get myself back to where I need to be. There's still a long way to go." He added: "I still believe these darts are the darts for me, and they can take me to new heights. I feel more consistent with them. Obviously, the more I play with them, the better I'm going to get, and I can't wait to carry on."
The switch to different equipment has also helped, with Bunting particularly pleased with the grip of his new barrels and his move to a K-Flex system. "Just the grip on them. They feel amazing every time I put them in my hand. I always wanted to go to a K-Flex. I was having a problem with the stem and the flight coming out. With a K-Flex, that alleviates that problem. And, yeah, I just feel so comfortable and so confident on the practice board. I feel like I'm playing even better. So it's only a matter of time before I take the practice game onto the main stage and then, yeah, we'll all be smiling." He also credited intensive finishing practice with close friend Harrison Leigh, whom he looks after on the Development Tour. "We had three solid days of just finishing, and you can see the way I'm playing, finishing-wise. I don't know how many ton-plus finishes, three or four, maybe five, but yeah, I feel confident when I'm on a finish. I feel like it can go."
Bunting's unusual throwing stance also came up, with the Englishman explaining: "I think you just feel comfortable on the oche. My dad, when I was young, he put the dartboard up between the doorframe. He put it up slightly to the left, so I always had to stand to the right to throw. It just stuck from an early age. I've always done that." Asked whether he might ever change his style again, he joked: "Who knows? I've changed from 12g to 18g to 23g to 21g. Maybe I'll start throwing left-handed."
Looking ahead, Bunting stressed that consistency will be key if he is to challenge for the biggest titles again. "I'm really happy, like I said, with the performance there. But it's not about just one performance. It's about making sure I'm consistent throughout the whole tournament. That's my aim now for the rest of 2026, going into 2027." A potential return to the Premier League and qualification for the Grand Slam of Darts are also among his ambitions, though he is keeping those targets in the background. "Not really. You've got to put them to the back of your mind. Listen, the Premier League, the World Championship and everything else come with great performances now. You get your confidence from playing in tournaments like this, getting certain wins. The 160 the other night was a massive confidence booster, and that showed in the performance today, especially with the doubles."
But the World Darts Championship is particularly high on his list of priorities. "I want to finish this season in great form, playing in the World Championship, and actually going for the title this year rather than just turning up." For Bunting, the formula for returning to his best is straightforward: "Winning breeds confidence, and confidence breeds great results and great performances."
