Cameron Menzies issued an apology after punching a table in frustration following his 3-2 defeat to Charlie Manby in the first round of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace which left him with a bloodied hand.
Scot Menzies had led twice in the match as he took the opening set before going 2-1 up, but 20-year-old Manby fought back before he finally pinned double one after both men had missed match darts.
As Manby went off to celebrate, Menzies was unable to keep a lid on his frustration – turning to violently punch the underside of the table three times, causing the water bottles to fall off as the crowd booed.
Menzies was visibly upset while congratulating his opponent and held his hands up to apologise to the crowd before walking off stage.
Pictures showed he had a bloody gash and he was treated by on-site medics, while subsequent further worrying footage emerged of Menzies apparently trying to put out a firework with the palm of his hand
It is the second time in as many years 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 apologised for his ’emotional’ reaction, revealing the death of his uncle and the upcoming funeral had been on his mind.
‘First of all, I would like to apologise for what happened. I’m sorry that I reacted in the manner that I did,’ Menzies said in a statement.
‘It’s not an excuse, but I have had a lot of things on my mind and I suppose it all just became too much at the end.
‘It’s not been an easy time for me with my uncle Gary passing away recently. I saw him four days before he died and he gave me a look which told me how much he thought of me.
‘Had I won the game, my second match would have been on the day of Gary’s funeral and that hasn’t been lost on me.
‘Let me say again, that’s no excuse for what I did. It was the wrong thing to do and I don’t want it to take anything away from Charlie. He played well.
‘This is not how I would like people to view me.’
Professional Darts Corporation chief executive Matt Porter said in a statement: ‘I spoke with Cameron and his management before he left the venue and he knows there is support available from the PDC and the PDPA (Professional Darts Players Association).
‘Any incident of this nature is reported to the Darts Regulation Authority for review, but our main priority is the player’s health and wellbeing.’
Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle, a former World Championship semi-finalist, felt Menzies ‘absolutely lost the plot’ when he ‘assaulted’ the drinks table.
‘The concentration boiled over, the anger, the anguish of losing, but you have got control that – that is what conducting yourself the right way is all about, and he didn’t, he let himself down,’ Mardle said.
‘I’m sure he will be punished accordingly by the Darts Regulation Authority, but hopefully the Professional Darts Players Association are there for him, because he has clearly got issues.
‘You cannot do that anywhere, let alone on the biggest (darts) stage of them all. I hope he can correct – in a way – his behaviour and move forward.’