World number two Luke Humphries has been eliminated from the World Matchplay in a surprising first-round defeat to Scotland's Cameron Menzies. The former world champion struggled with his finishing early in the match, losing his first six legs before managing to hold his own throw.
Humphries appeared to be mounting a comeback, winning four consecutive legs to narrow the deficit to 8-7. However, Menzies sealed a significant 10-7 victory by achieving a maximum 170 checkout, a feat described as 'the big fish'.
The result marks a significant disappointment for Humphries, who had recently shown signs of returning to top form, including a win over Luke Littler at the US Darts Masters in June, after a slower start to the year. For Menzies, ranked 27th in the world, this victory is a career highlight. He becomes only the second unseeded player to advance in this year's tournament.
Menzies is scheduled to face 15th seed Ross Smith in the second round. Smith advanced after defeating Kevin Doets 10-6 in a high-quality match where both players averaged over 100 and achieved more than 50% on their doubles. Smith, however, proved more clinical when it mattered.
In another match, Gerwyn Price narrowly avoided an upset, defeating Martin Schindler 11-9. Price admitted he was fortunate to win after trailing significantly, falling behind 4-0 and 6-2. Despite fighting back to take his first lead at 9-8, Price was pushed to the limit as Schindler hit a 121 checkout to break back before Price ultimately secured the win in the 20th leg.