Michael van Gerwn knocked out of the Baltic Sea Darts Open by Stephen Bunting
- Planet Sport writer
- 26 February 2023
Michael van Gerwen suffered a surprise 6-4 defeat to Stephen Bunting in the PDC European Tour’s Baltic Sea Darts Open in Kiel.
Bunting reeled off three successive legs to clinch his first victory over the Dutchman in seven years, producing 10 throws of more than 140.
Van Gerwen struggled with his finishing, with a highest checkout of just 24 compared to Bunting's 132, and a checkout percentage of just 25.
Peter Wright also won three legs in a row as he beat James Wade 6-3, sealing victory with a 12-dart finish.
Michael Smith came through a difficult match with Niko Springer to win 6-4, while four-time European Tour winner Luke Humphries claimed an emphatic 6-1 win over Daryl Gurney.
Gerwyn Price averaged over 109 during his 6-2 win over Graham Usher, while Jonny Clayton bounced back from losing the first leg to beat Ted Evetts 6-1.
Steve Beaton knocked out seventh seed Nathan Aspinall 6-5 and Martin Schindler beat Lukas Wenig 6-4.
