Peter Wright has advised Cameron Menzies to keep his emotional outbursts behind closed doors after the Scottish player split his hand open by punching his table in frustration. The 36-year-old was left devastated following his 3-2 first-round defeat to PDC World Championship debutant Charlie Manby, a bricklayer by trade.
Similar to last year's first-round exit against American Leonard Gates, the Ally Pally crowd backed Menzies' opponent throughout the match. When the 20-year-old secured victory, the Scot struck the underside of his table three times, causing his hand to split open. Wright, who defeated Noa-Lynn van Leuven in straight sets, offered some supportive words to his mate Menzies.
During his press conference, when asked if he had any advice for Menzies, Wright delivered a swift four-word response: 'Yeah, do it backstage.' He continued: 'Cammy is an awesome darts player. He believed in his ability and his game to win this tournament and push himself up the rankings, which everyone wants to do. I can't explain his reaction, but you feel disappointed in yourself when you miss shots.'
Menzies issued a heartfelt apology for his reaction, also sharing with fans that he has been grappling with the recent loss of his uncle, who died just before the tournament. He penned: 'I am sorry that I reacted in the manner that I did. It's not an excuse, but I have had a lot of things on my mind recently and I suppose it all just became too much at the end.'
Matt Porter, PDC chief executive, confirmed that the incident will be reported to the Darts Regulation Authority for review. He stated: '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. 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.'
