Cameron Menzies barely resembled the player who had scraped through his Slovak Darts Open opener less than 24 hours earlier. After averaging 78.74 in a low-key first-round win over Gabriel Varaljay, the Scot returned to the Bratislava stage and crushed Gerwyn Price 6-2 with a 106 average. Price averaged 96.74, but spent most of the match chasing Menzies, who opened with an early break, took out 144 for a 2-0 lead and finished the contest with a 10-darter.
The win also pushed Menzies further into the World Matchplay qualification picture, with the Scot now sitting inside the provisional Blackpool places after removing the fourth seed from the draw. “That was a free hit,” explained Menzies afterwards. “I was so nervous, but what helped is that my first dart was finding the treble most of the time.”
Menzies set the tone immediately, starting the opening leg with a 180 before taking out 56 for a break of throw. The 144 checkout that followed doubled his lead and forced Price into an early chase. The Welshman got on the board after Menzies missed two darts for a 3-0 lead, but the Scot kept control. A last-dart double 20 made it 3-1 under pressure, before back-to-back 180s set up an 11-dart break for 4-1. Price briefly threatened a comeback when he broke on tops for 2-4, only for Menzies to respond with another leg featuring two 180s. He settled for a 12-darter that time, leaving himself one leg from victory.
Then came the final burst. For the third time in four legs, Menzies opened with back-to-back maximums. He reached seven perfect darts before the eighth went astray, then completed a 10-dart leg to seal one of the biggest wins of his season. Menzies hit seven 180s against Gerwyn Price. “I needed that,” Menzies admitted. “I’m gutted I didn’t get a dart for the nine-darter, I’ll hit it one day, I know I will.”
Menzies had arrived in round two after acknowledging his nervousness, but his scoring rhythm against Price quickly changed the shape of the match. The first dart repeatedly found the treble, the maximums came in clusters, and Price was given little chance to turn the contest into a scrap. “All I want to do is win,” Menzies added. “I love Bratislava, and I hope I will be back here.” Menzies now returns for Sunday’s final day in Slovakia with Price out of the draw, a 106 average behind him and his World Matchplay position strengthened by the biggest result of his Bratislava campaign so far.
