'I’ve had a busy move and I’ve also been ill in between' - Danny Noppert not entirely satisfied after shock in Amsterdam

Danny Noppert produced a shock on the opening night of the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam, defeating top seed Stephen Bunting 6-4.

‘The Freeze’ made the perfect start, breaking immediately before consolidating with a strong hold of throw to establish a 2-0 lead. Bunting halved the deficit, but Noppert responded in style with a 13-darter to restore his two-leg cushion at 3-1 at the World Series of Darts Finals.

The Dutchman then spurned chances to stretch the gap further, missing three darts at double to allow Bunting back in at 3-2. Noppert quickly regained control, however, firing a 14-darter to move 4-2 ahead.

Although ‘The Bullet’ closed the gap once more at 4-3, Noppert held firm, keeping his throw under pressure to edge 5-3 in front. Bunting produced a moment of brilliance with a superb 144 checkout to stay alive, but Noppert had the final say, sealing victory by holding his nerve on throw.

Despite the upset, Noppert admitted he took little satisfaction from the performance. “I wasn’t comfortable, it was underwhelming,” said the 2022 UK Open champion in his post-match press conference.

Explaining his struggles, he added: “I’ve had a busy move and I’ve also been ill in between. I feel pretty empty, but with a good night’s sleep there could be a new Danny on Saturday.”