Cameron Menzies withdraws from World Matchplay after falling ill in Blackpool

Cameron Menzies was helped off the stage at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens after falling ill during his World Matchplay second-round match against Ross Smith, and play was suspended while he received medical attention. The Professional Darts Corporation confirmed shortly before 7:45pm on Wednesday that Menzies had withdrawn from the tournament on medical grounds.

The incident unfolded with Menzies and Smith battling for a place in the third round of one of darts’ biggest televised events. Officials stopped the match as the Scotland player became unwell on stage, turning a high-stakes contest into a welfare situation that had to be handled in full view of the crowd. Menzies was then taken away for treatment, with the tournament’s response centring first on his condition rather than the scoreline.

Menzies had reached the second round with one of the shocks of the opening night, beating world number two and defending champion Luke Humphries. Sky Sports said he sealed that victory with a 170 checkout, while BBC Sport noted that Humphries had gone out in the first round in the two years since winning the title. The result had already marked Menzies out as one of the tournament’s early talking points before his withdrawal cut short his run in Blackpool.

The World Matchplay is being staged at the Winter Gardens and Sky Sports says the event runs there until July 26. The PDC said Ross Smith, Gerwyn Price and Rob Cross all progressed on the same day, keeping the competition moving after the interruption in Menzies’ match.

Menzies’ sudden illness also brought fresh attention to a player whose career has already been shaped by health concerns. Earlier coverage has recorded him speaking openly about heart issues and a health scare that contributed to a dramatic weight loss and a reset in his career. That backdrop made the scenes in Blackpool especially stark, with the emphasis shifting immediately from tournament progress to player safety.