Menzies Stuns World Number Two as First Round Concludes
The first round of the 2026 World Matchplay concluded on Monday evening with a seismic shock, as Scotland’s Cameron Menzies eliminated world number two Luke Humphries with a superb 10-7 victory. It was a landmark win for the Scot, who picked up his first victory on the iconic Winter Gardens stage in some style.
Menzies delivered a magical display of finishing, showing a newfound composure that stood in stark contrast to previous on-stage moments of frustration. In the past, such an occasion might have seen Menzies falter, but he channelled his energy effectively to produce the performance of his career. He signalled his intent immediately, breaking the Humphries throw in the opening leg after his opponent missed a 120 checkout. While breaks of throw were a feature of the contest, Menzies held his nerve to see out a memorable win, upsetting the form book and the odds offered by even the best odds bookmakers.
Elsewhere, Gerwyn Price was forced to endure a marathon clash against Martin Schindler, eventually prevailing 11-9 in a tense affair. The Welshman produced what was described as an epic comeback but cut a frustrated figure in his post-match media duties. Despite the win, Price admitted he felt “a million miles away” from the standard required to capture another major title. He also reflected on his relationship with the Blackpool crowd, joking that he almost preferred the negative reception he received between 2018 and 2022, a period during which he felt he played his best darts.
The third match of the evening saw former world champion Rob Cross produce a dominant display to dispatch a struggling Danny Noppert 10-3. Cross established full control from the very beginning, racing into a 5-0 lead from which the Dutchman could never recover. A dejected Noppert made no attempt to hide his disappointment afterwards, telling Viaplay he was “hurt” by the one-sided nature of the defeat. “After that first break and going 5-0 down, you’re basically chasing the game the whole way,” he conceded, calling it a performance that “needs a lot of fixing”.
