Cameron Menzies produced one of the night’s biggest shocks at the Betfred World Matchplay, beating 2024 champion Luke Humphries 10-7 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
The Scot, known for his unpredictability and emotion on stage, sealed the victory with an inspired 170 checkout that sent the Empress Ballroom into raptures and delivered his first-ever match win on the Winter Gardens stage.
Menzies had earlier taken the initiative with a brilliant double-double 129 finish to lead 3-2, only for Humphries to hit a magnificent 167 checkout to level after the interval. Menzies then ripped off a four-leg burst to open a 7-3 advantage. Humphries fought back, winning several legs in succession, but Menzies steadied himself and closed out the match with that memorable 170 finish.
“No one gave me hope! I didn’t give myself hope but I finally won a game at the Winter Gardens,” Menzies said after the win. Of Humphries he added: “He gave me a lot of stress at doubles but that’s my biggest win… I’m trying to keep myself composed because I know he was going to have a spell. I’ll take it any day of the week.”
Former player and pundit Wayne Mardle hailed the victory as Menzies’ best ever, praising the way he handled the rollercoaster of breaks and recoveries during the contest. “He knows he can handle anything now,” Mardle said.
Menzies moves on to face Ross Smith in round two. Smith earned his spot after overcoming debutant Kevin Doets 10-6 in another high-quality encounter. Doets averaged 104.19 and produced a stunning 161 checkout, but Smith countered with big finishes of 160 and a match-clinching 120, ending with a 120 Shanghai to seal the win.
Elsewhere on Monday, Gerwyn Price survived a scare to beat Martin Schindler 11-9. Price trailed 4-0 and 6-2 before mounting a comeback and capitalising on Schindler’s missed doubles to win in extra legs. A relieved Price admitted it had been a poor display by his standards: “It was the worst I’ve played all season… That was one I should have lost, but I’ve won and I’m still in the tournament.”
Price will face Rob Cross in the next round after Cross began his campaign with a convincing 10-3 victory over Danny Noppert. Cross led 5-0 at the break, averaged 97.41, and produced a 128 checkout en route to victory.
Key results (Monday):
– Cameron Menzies 10-7 Luke Humphries
– Ross Smith 10-6 Kevin Doets
– Gerwyn Price 11-9 Martin Schindler
– Rob Cross 10-3 Danny Noppert
The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay runs at the Winter Gardens from July 18-26, with 32 players competing for the Phil Taylor Trophy. Defending champion Luke Littler opened his defence with a 10-6 win over Niko Springer.
Tuesday’s big second-round fixtures include Jonny Clayton vs Gary Anderson, Michael van Gerwen vs Dirk van Duijvenbode, Luke Littler vs Nathan Aspinall, and Josh Rock vs Stephen Bunting. Coverage continues live on Sky Sports and streaming services showing the event.