Menzies repeatedly punches table after Worlds loss

Cameron Menzies angrily punched a drinks table after a five-set defeat by highly rated Charlie Manby in the first round of the PDC World Championship.

The 26th seed from Scotland hit the underside of the table three times before holding his hand up in apology to the Alexandra Palace crowd as he left the stage.

Menzies, 36, was pictured with blood pouring from a gash on his right hand.

He had led 1-0 and 2-1 in sets before 20-year-old English debutant Manby fought back and clinched victory with his seventh match dart.

Former Premier League champion Glen Durrant – commentating on the subsequent match for Sky Sports – said: «Charlie Manby is a superstar in the making. Sometimes you can build a player up at 20 years old. We thought it was going to be the match of the afternoon and it delivered.

«But it wasn’t the ending we all want to see. For Cameron Menzies, I think he will regret that for the rest of his life. It was not a good watch.»

Co-commentator Stuart Pyke added: «I agree, [it was] an extraordinary reaction but we saw him walking off stage and he did put up his hand in apology. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing.»

Players can be sanctioned under Darts Regulation Authority rules for aggressive, disruptive or abusive behaviour.

It is the second year running that Menzies has been knocked out in the first round after he broke down in tears during and following his exit to Leonard Gates last December.

Menzies later revealed his father Ricky had been ill in hospital at the time, and spoke before this tournament about the recent death of his uncle.

Also in Monday’s afternoon session, two-time champion Peter Wright made it through to round two with a straight-set win over Noa-Lynn van Leuven.

The 55-year-old Scot, wearing a festive-themed outfit, landed a 152 checkout in the first set and was taken to a deciding leg in the second, before closing out victory comfortably in the third.

Wright, who will face German Arno Merk in round two, told Sky Sports: «I know I didn’t play well but I will play well in the next round. You’ve got to grow into the tournament.»

Wright, the winner in 2020 and 2022, has struggled for form in recent times and has slipped to 30th in the PDC world rankings as a result.

He reached the quarter-finals last year, ending Luke Humphries’ title defence on his way to the last eight before losing to Stephen Bunting.

Van Leuven, who became the first transgender player to appear at the PDC World Championship last year, was one of five players from the Women’s Series to qualify for the event at Alexandra Palace.

Beau Greaves topped the series and faces Daryl Gurney first on Friday as she looks to become only the second female player to win a match in the tournament, after fellow qualifier Fallon Sherrock, who won twice at the event in December 2019.

Three places were on offer from the series, along with a spot for the Women’s Matchplay winner – a title taken by Lisa Ashton, who lost to 2023 world champion Michael Smith in the first round on Thursday.

With Greaves qualifying in her own right as runner-up on the Development Tour, that meant Women’s Series runner-up Sherrock, Van Leuven in fourth and Gemma Hayter, who finished fifth, joined third-placed Ashton.

Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan hit a 170 checkout to seal the second set in his 3-1 victory over England’s Tavis Dudeney, while Austria’s Mensur Suljovic beat Canada’s David Cameron by the same scoreline.

From 19:00 GMT