Cameron Menzies was in tears during his World Darts Championship first-round exit to Leonard Gates, taking to social media after the match to post a heart-breaking message about his dad
Cameron Menzies made a heartfelt tribute to his dad on social media after crying on stage during his World Darts Championship defeat to Leonard Gates.
Despite entering the match in top form, the 35-year-old was knocked out in the first round as Gates secured a 3-1 win to advance. Menzies, who struggled to keep his emotions in check even during the match, was seen wiping his eyes during the final two legs. And he appeared visibly upset when Gates landed the winning dart.
After the match, he uploaded a now-deleted photo of himself with his dad in hospital to X, captioning it: “I didn’t wanna post this man… my dad my hero.”
Menzies, who is the partner of Fallon Sherrock, had trouble hitting trebles in the last set and missed 27 out of 32 double attempts. Some spectators at Alexandra Palace mockingly cheered his shots as his performance unravelled, with Gates seizing the opportunity for an unexpected triumph.
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Reflecting on Menzies’ performance, three-time Lakeside champion Glen Durrant said on Sky Sports: “On the floor, Cammy has been the best player in the room. He’s the one that has stood out. It feels like it is a different game when you go on stage.
“It is just not happening for him. He is full of emotion. When you look at his preparation, he will have to work out if he is to find a solution about why he doesn’t play on the stage as he does on the floor. He’s extremely talented.
“But at the end, it was a little worrying, I didn’t know if he was getting upset, if the heat was getting to him. It was a pretty bizarre ending.”
Gates, who will face Nathan Aspinall in his next fixture, was seen offering kind words post-match to Menzies. Revealing what was said in their exchange, the American said: “I told him to use the energy, don’t look at it as a negative, look at it as a positive. Just use that energy, play a lot more darts, get better, keep showing the PDC what we can do.
“I told him: ‘I hope you can block it out and play the game. Don’t get involved with negativity as someone is cheering against you. Focus on what you are doing. Go forward’. I use that energy to block it out.
“It’s one of those things, you have to block out certain things. Do what you are there to do. I went back to the basics, throw your darts, check the scores.
“I hope I said things that will help him in his game, personally in life also. He has to figure out what it is. If he needs more help, I hope I said something that will build his confidence.”
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