Menzies secures significant victory
Cameron Menzies delivered a notable upset at the World Matchplay on Monday night, defeating Luke Humphries 10-7 in the first round at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. Menzies, appearing in only his second World Matchplay, secured his first win on the Winter Gardens stage with a decisive 170 checkout.
Humphries, the 2024 champion and World No 2, faced Menzies, who is known for his entertaining and unpredictable style of play. The match saw a series of breaks early on, with seven straight breaks of throw opening the contest. Menzies initiated this with a 129 checkout, followed by Humphries responding with a 167 finish to level the score after the first interval.
Menzies then established a significant lead, winning four consecutive legs to go 7-3 ahead. Although Humphries mounted a comeback, winning four of the next five legs, Menzies regained his composure. He landed an inspired 170 checkout to seal the victory, which he described as his biggest win in the PDC.
Following his win, Menzies expressed his delight, stating, “No one gave me hope! I didn’t give myself hope but I finally won a game at the Winter Gardens.” He acknowledged Humphries as a great player and admitted to feeling nervous, particularly at 7-3, but managed to hold on for the win. Menzies will now advance to face Ross Smith in the second round.
Other first-round results
In other first-round matches, Gerwyn Price also secured a hard-fought victory, overcoming Martin Schindler 11-9. Price trailed 4-0 and 6-2 before staging a comeback to lead 9-8. Schindler managed to force a tie-break with a 121 checkout, but Price immediately broke throw and finished with a 100 checkout to complete his turnaround. Price admitted that he played poorly, stating, “That was the worst I’ve played all season.” He will face Rob Cross in the second round.
Rob Cross, the 2019 champion, had a more comfortable opening, defeating Danny Noppert 10-3. Cross led 5-0 at the break and maintained his advantage, averaging 97.41 and achieving a 128 checkout. His performance on doubles was also strong, ending with an impressive 52.6 per cent.
Ross Smith, Menzies’ next opponent, also progressed after defeating debutant Kevin Doets. Smith started strongly, taking a 5-0 lead, including a 10-dart leg and a 160 checkout. Doets managed to reduce the deficit to 6-4 and later produced a 161 finish, but Smith ultimately secured the win with a 120 Shanghai finish.
Looking ahead to the next round
The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay continues at the iconic Winter Gardens until July 26, with a 32-player field competing for the prestigious Phil Taylor Trophy. The second round is set to feature several key matchups.
Defending champion Luke Littler, who began his title defence with a 10-6 win over Niko Springer, will face Nathan Aspinall. Other notable fixtures include Stephen Bunting against Josh Rock, and three-time World Matchplay winner Michael van Gerwen taking on fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode. Gary Anderson, the 2018 champion, will compete against 2023 runner-up Jonny Clayton, following Anderson’s strong performance with a 109.96 average in his 10-2 demolition of Ryan Joyce.
The second round of the World Matchplay is scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
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Source: skysports.com
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Joel Kavanagh is a Sports News Writer at News-GB. He started on a Midlands sports desk. He focuses on rugby union, golf and boxing and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Journalism from De Montfort University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Leicester, he plays amateur rugby and follows the fight calendar. “In sport news, the first ten minutes decide everything.”