Cameron Menzies threw the match of his life on Friday night against
Raymond van Barneveld. The Scot won 6-0, throwing an average of around 113 in the first five legs. Despite missing 9 matchdarts, he eventually finished with an average of 103.87.
Menzies left no stone unturned by Raymond van Barneveld, who did not throw a bad game himself but could not match the scoring power of his opponent. The Scot threw five 180s in 7 legs and also managed to throw two finishes of 147 and 129 at crucial moments.
In Rosmalen, Menzies had to face not only Raymond van Barneveld, but also the crowd. All the fans scanned the name of "Barney," but the Scot did not let himself get off the hook. Menzies could even enjoy the atmosphere. "I felt like I had nothing to lose out there because sometimes, when you the home favourite and the crowds on your back a little bit, it's a good feeling," he said after the match.
"Don't get me wrong, I rhink he tried too hard to try and play his best there," Menzies said of playing in front of your own country. "The noise out there was deafening and I just felt, if I lost its nothing to me. Of course I want to win but I had nothing to lose with him in his home country and that incredible atmosphere in there."
As mentioned earlier, the Scot threw an average of around 113 in the first five legs, something he felt himself while on the stage. "I kind of knew I was playing well, but I never really thought about it until the winning double and then I kind of got excited a little bit," the Scot reflected on his performance.
In the second round, Menzies now faces his compatriot
Peter Wright, against whom he usually has an uphill battle. Menzies himself thinks he knows why. "I've had a number of conversations with sports psychologists, and I think it's mainly down to my mindset. I have a lot of respect for Peter, sometimes maybe too much, and that's the reason I don't perform as well sometimes," he concluded.