Stefan Bellmont is eliminated in the second round of his second participation in the World Darts Championship. The player from Cham loses 2:3 in sets against the Australian Damon Heta at the Alexandra Palace in London.
22.12.2025, 00:53
22.12.2025, 06:47
SDA
Stefan Bellmont's World Championship adventure has come to an end. Despite an appealing performance, the 36-year-old from Zug loses to Damon Heta in the decisive fifth set. Bellmont, who had impressed in the first round with a commanding 3:0 win against darts icon Raymond van Barneveld, took advantage of his opponent's weak start, playing an average of just 76 points in the first set. The Australian, who moved to England a few years ago, then showed why he is ranked 16th in the world. In the second set, he averaged 111 points with three darts - a pace that the Swiss was unable to keep up with.
But Bellmont did not allow himself to be rattled in the atmospheric Alexandra Palace. He broke his opponent's throw in the very first leg of the third set and secured his second set.
After that, there were actually signs that the Swiss World Championship adventure would continue, as Bellmont was able to open the fourth set. However, he was not to hit the triple fields as regularly as before in this decisive phase, which is why he had increasing problems getting his throw through. Bellmont was able to respond immediately to Heta's first break - thanks in part to one of his three 180-point maximums. However, the player from central Switzerland was then unable to prevent the loss of his throw-in again, missing the double 8 and 4 needed for a second break by just millimetres with two throws.
The deciding set was evenly poised until Heta was extremely accurate in Bellmont's second throw and put the Swiss under pressure. With his second match dart, "The Heat", as Heta is known, ended Bellmont's second outing on the biggest darts stage.
21 places won
Bellmont had earned his second World Championship participation thanks to a strong and extremely consistent season. As the winner of the Challenge Tour, the second-highest tournament series on the darts circuit, he not only punched his ticket to the most prestigious darts tournament in the world, but also earned himself a tour card that will entitle him to play in most tournaments on the professional tour over the next two years.
In this respect, the defeat is just a small blot on the clean sheet of an otherwise formidable season. Especially as he was once again able to present himself on the biggest possible stage in London. From January, Bellmont's life on the professional tour officially begins, where he will try to win as much prize money as possible at tournaments throughout Europe over the next 24 months. Reaching the second round of the World Championships will earn him 25,000 British pounds.
It is prize money that he sees as a "boost" for his start on the professional tour. However, it also ensures that he makes a considerable leap forward in the world rankings. Ranked 111th before the tournament, he is now 90th.
