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'To be honest, I knew I had only that one shot' - Niko Springer survives Bunting thriller and eagerly awaits German duel

Originally posted on Dartsnews.com | By Samuel Gill | Last updated May 25, 2025 1:49 PM ET

Niko Springer pulled off a dramatic upset at the Dutch Darts Championship 2025, edging past the heavily favoured Stephen Bunting in a nail-biting second-round encounter. In what was the standout clash of Saturday's early session, the 24-year-old German emerged victorious with a 6–5 win, sealing the deal with a nerveless 100 checkout after Bunting missed two match darts at double 12.

"I'm still shaking," Springer admitted in his post-match interview. "It wasn’t the best start from either of us—lots of missed chances—but I think we both improved as the game went on. I'm absolutely thrilled to come through that. It was really tough."

Springer was candid about his early struggles on the outer ring: "I had plenty of chances in the first few legs but just couldn’t find the doubles. I knew I had to step it up if I wanted to stay in the match, and I’m very, very happy that I managed to do that."

The decisive moment came with the scores tied at 5–5, and Springer under immense pressure. With Bunting waiting on a finish, the German produced a gutsy 100 checkout in unorthodox fashion.

"To be honest, I knew I had only that one shot," Springer explained. "My first dart in the single 20 was terrible, technically. So I had to make a quick decision—either tops-tops or go for treble 16 and double 16. In that moment, I just felt more confident going through the 16s, and I’m really glad it worked out."

The victory sets up an all-German third-round clash later this afternoon, as Springer now faces the country’s number one, Martin Schindler. With that, Germany is guaranteed representation in the evening’s final session—and potentially a run at the title.

"I know Martin very well," Springer said of the upcoming encounter. "It’s going to be a very, very tough match, but the great thing is we’ll definitely have a German player in the quarter-finals. That’s a big positive for German darts. I’m really looking forward to it—I think it’ll be a great game."

Stephen Bunting	VS	Niko Springer
89.57	Average (3 Darts)	91.9
15	100+ Thrown	13
9	140+ Thrown	10
2	180 Thrown	1
84	Highest Checkout	100
0	Checkout 100+	1
35.7	Checkout percentage	35.3
5 / 14	Checkout	6 / 17