The World Matchplay at the Winter Gardens continued with several notable first-round results on Monday evening. Cameron Menzies produced one of the tournament’s biggest surprises, overcoming World No. 2 Luke Humphries with a final score of 10-7. Menzies secured the victory with an inspired 170 checkout, delivering what he called his greatest career win. The match saw momentum shift multiple times, with Menzies building a 7-3 lead before Humphries mounted a comeback that fell just short.
In other first-round action, Ross Smith advanced to the next round after defeating debutant Kevin Doets. Smith managed the victory despite Doets posting a 104.19 average and produced several notable checkouts, including a match-winning 120. Smith will face Cameron Menzies in the second round.
Former World Matchplay finalist Gerwyn Price survived a difficult encounter with Germany’s Martin Schindler, trailing at various points before securing an 11-9 victory. Price will take on Rob Cross next, who opened his campaign with a convincing 10-3 win over Danny Noppert, averaging 97.41 and finishing with a 52.6 percent doubles success rate.
Lukasz Littler continued his title defense with a 10-6 victory over Niko Springer on the opening day, setting up a matchup with Nathan Aspinall. Stephen Bunting advanced after surviving three match darts against debutant Niels Zonneveld in a 13-12 thriller. The tournament runs through July 26, with 32 players competing for the Phil Taylor Trophy.