Darts star breaks down in tears on Ally Pally stage after World Championship defeat
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Darts star Cameron Menzies could not contain his emotions as he broke down in tears following his defeat to Leonard Gates on Monday night in the World Championship.
Playing in a boisterous atmosphere at the Alexandra Palace, Menzies crumbled to a 3-1 defeat - having missed 20 darts at a double.
Gates, a fan favourite at the Ally Pally, was serenaded with chants of 'USA, USA', due to his nationality.
However, when Menzies approached the oche, the Scotsman was roundly booed and jeered when he missed a treble.
Cameron Menzies could not contain his emotions after losing to Leonard Gates
Sky Sports
The pressure appeared to get to Menzies, whose other half is fellow darts star Fallon Sherrock, and he could not shake off the boo boys.
As the match drudged on, sweat poured off Menzies forehead, leaving his hair drenched.
After hitting a single in the match-deciding leg, Menzies stepped away from the oche and put his head in his hands.
It drew further jeers from the crowd as the 35-year-old tried to compose himself.
However, it did little good as he went on to hit a five and a 20 - as the Ally Pally pack mocked him.
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As Gates landed a double-seven to win the match, he immediately went to support Menzies.
But the emotions got the better of the Glaswegian, as tears streamed down his face before he made his way off stage.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Gates said: "I was definitely aware of it but at the same time, I want my opponent to play their best against me to see if I can play my best against them.
"I told him to use the energy of the crowd, keep coming and keep playing the best he can to grow the PDC."
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Leonard Gates stormed to victory over Cameron Menzies, whose emotions got the better of him
PA
As for Gates, the American had a fine night as he started the match with a 138 checkout to set the tone.
He went on to claim the first set before Menzies levelled the scores.
However, the Soulger took advantage of several bounce-outs from his opponent to win the third set.
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GATES STUNS MENZIES! 😱
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 16, 2024
Leonard Gates dumps Cameron Menzies out of the World Championship!
Emotional scenes at the end with Menzies visibly distraught.
📺 https://t.co/pIQvhqYxEj#WCDarts | R1 pic.twitter.com/yyq4uTjlCQ
The 54-year-old was taken to a deciding leg before the game-winning double-seven - and had Menzies been able to finish his doubles it might have been a different story.
Gates added: "That was a great game. Cameron played great, I played the best game I could. The darts here are awesome. We have to use that energy and keep it going.
"I will have to do better than what I did tonight to see if I can do better against Nathan [Aspinall in the second round]."
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