Stephen Bunting will face Wessel Nijman in the last 16 of the 2026 Slovak Darts Open on Sunday afternoon, with the Bratislava event set to crown its first champion later the same day.
Bunting came through a tight second-round test against Niels Zonneveld, winning 6-5 on Saturday night, while Nijman booked his place in round three with a more controlled 6-2 victory over Benjamin Pratnemer.
The confirmed Sunday schedule puts Bunting and Nijman together in the afternoon session at the Incheba Expo, before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are all played in the evening. The tournament is the ninth European Tour event of the season and carries ranking money for the PDC Order of Merit, ProTour Order of Merit and European Tour Order of Merit.
Bunting Gets Immediate Nijman Test In Bratislava
The tie gives Bunting little room to ease into finals day. Nijman has been one of the sharper names on the ProTour circuit this season and his second-round scoreline suggested he arrived in the knockout phase with rhythm.
Bunting, though, has already survived pressure in Slovakia. The 6-5 win over Zonneveld was exactly the kind of match that can sharpen a title challenge, particularly in a format where the round of 16 remains best of 11 legs.
The winner will move into a packed evening session, where the title will be settled quickly. The full Sunday draw and session details were confirmed by PDC Europe’s Slovak Darts Open schedule.
With Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, Nathan Aspinall and Ross Smith also still in the draw, Bunting v Nijman stands out as one of the afternoon ties that could shape the route to the Bratislava final.
