Darts results: Rob Cross beats Stephen Bunting to win the Dutch Darts Masters title

By Sporting Life

Darts

Sun January 26, 2025 · 1M ago

Rob Cross claimed the fifth World Series title of his career with an 8-5 victory over Stephen Bunting in the Dutch Darts Masters final.

Voltage returned to form in style this weekend as he beat Richard Veenstra, Jermaine Wattimena and Gerwyn Price before overcoming the recent Bahrain Masters champion with an average of 102.

Bunting had earlier come through an epic semi-final with Luke Littler to win 7-6 despite averaging 99 compared to the world champion's 107.6 but just ran out of steam as he chased back-to-back titles.

CROSS DELIVERS IN DEN BOSCH! ⚡

Rob Cross is the 2025 Dutch Darts Masters champion!

The 2018 World Champion produces a brilliant performance to defeat Stephen Bunting 8-5 and clinch his fifth World Series title!

📺 https://t.co/bKw0qCqi9J #DutchDartsMasters pic.twitter.com/jpk5zPShwz
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 25, 2025

Cross started the final stronger, leading 2-0 and adding 13-darters to move 3-1 and 5-2 up, only for legs of 14, 12 and 12 darts helping Bunting to draw level - as he took out 62, 94 and 130.

Cross, though, hit back strongly to regain the lead on double 18, before a brace of double eight checkouts sealed glory and a first World Series title in Europe.

"It's amazing to come here and win - it's special for me," said Cross, who was last year's US Darts Masters winner.

"I think it's about time I won in the Netherlands and I'm very grateful - the crowd were brilliant. The determination and focus I had today dragged me through.

"Stephen is a great man and he's a credit to the sport. He's done all the work today, got there and probably ran out of steam.

"To come here and win this one means so much. It's been a great weekend and I've really enjoyed it, and I love the World Series."

Bunting overcame two former World Champions as he booked his spot in a second successive World Series final, only to lose out to another in his bid for further glory.

He finished a 13-darter to edge past Raymond van Barneveld in the last eight, before an 11-darter saw off Luke Littler in a tight semi-final tie.

"To reach two finals back-to-back is amazing for me and it was a great final," said Bunting. "Rob played a really good game and had me under pressure from the start.

"If you'd said to me at the start of the tournament that I was going to be in the final I'd have taken it. Credit goes to Rob. I'll dust myself down and get ready for Milton Keynes next week.

"I'm playing the best darts of my life, and with the fanbase I've got, the social media; everything around me is in a great place and I can't wait to continue the form in the World Masters."

Littler had ended Michael van Gerwen's title defence with a 6-3 victory in their quarter-final, despite two 12-darters from the Dutchman.

However, the new World Champion was unable to claim a place in a second successive Den Bosch final when Bunting left him stranded on 130 after nine darts in the decider to their last four clash.

All four remaining Dutch stars exited the event in the quarter-finals, with Kevin Doets seeing Price claw back from 3-1 down before taking out 145 in their deciding leg.

Focus on the PDC circuit now moves to next weekend's Winmau World Masters for the first ranking event of the new season, with the World Series of Darts returning with the Mr Vegas Nordic Darts Masters at Forum Copenhagen on June 6-7.