James Wade suffered a shock defeat to Cameron Menzies; Rob Cross is also through; Menzies will now face Mickey Mansell who beat Danny Noppert; Cross faces Martin Lukeman; watch the Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton until November 17 - live on Sky Sports
Thursday 14 November 2024 10:01, UK
Cameron Menzies pulled off a huge upset to make it through to the Grand Slam quarter-finals with a last-leg 10-9 victory over the heavily-favoured James Wade.
It was a to-and-fro contest between Wade and Menzies, the Wolverhampton crowd firmly with the Englishman in the England vs Scotland contest.
Menzies got an early break of throw to go 4-2 up, but Wade fought back before breaking at the next opportunity to lead 6-4.
However, Menzies then found a massive break, pinning D10 to bring the score level, the game reaching fever pitch as Menzies took out 97 before Wade took out 124 to bring the score to 8-8.
As the Scotsman then took out a clutch 117 to go one leg away from a quarter-final spot the pressure reached new heights, and Wade took us all the way to a decider.
With two darts at tops for the match, Menzies missed but then a mistake from Wade gave him another chance, finally pinning tops and falling to the floor in tears as he realised he had secured the biggest win of his career.
"I don't know how to explain that. I won the first five legs. I fumbled a bit. I don't know what happened. I've never hoped for a dart so much in my life. That wasn't confidence, I was just praying to things I didn't know existed. It was just hope. I am ecstatic," Menzies told Sky Sports.
"I don't deal with this very well. Getting involved with the crowd is my mentality thing. I'm a nervous wreck up here. My anxiety goes through the roof. The crowd just calms me. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here.
"I'm lucky, I don't think I've played well yet. I think I'm carrying a bit of luck for the first time in my life. Someone is looking over me at the moment."
Rob Cross put on a sensational display, his doubling on point, in a vintage 10-4 victory over Ritchie Edhouse.
Cross sent the crowd wild with a 164 checkout in the fourth leg, but both held their throw well for the first six legs, Cross finally finding the moment and the break in the next leg on D18.
He then fired in a massive 160 checkout for a 7-4 lead, 10 maximums helping him take control of the match, a 110 checkout for an 8-4 lead meaning Cross was 100 per cent on the doubles after 12 legs.
A break of throw on D8 then put him one leg away from a quarter-final place, 'Voltage' taking out D19 for the win, meaning he hit 10 out of 12 doubles in total.
Menzies will now play Mickey Mansell who made it to the first TV Major quarter-final of his career with a 10-7 victory over eighth seed Danny Noppert.
Mansell fought back from 2-0 down to 3-2 up at the first break, taking out a sensational 121 checkout on the way for a break of throw.
Mansell then made it six legs in a row before Noppert hit back with a 13-dart break of throw to bring the score to 6-3, an 11-dart hold of throw then bringing him one leg closer at 6-4.
A better average from The 'Freeze' brought the score to 9-7 but Mansell fought back with a 117 checkout then a huge Shanghai finish on tops to round out a career-defining win.
Meanwhile, Cross will play Martin Lukeman after he completed a 10-5 drubbing of Ross Smith in the last 16 to cruise through to the last eight unbeaten.
Lukeman won the opening two sessions 3-2, a crucial break of throw helping him into a 6-4 lead and then started to canter, a brilliant 121 checkout increasing the advantage to 8-5.
From there, he was in the zone and hit D4 to move within a leg of victory, wrapping up the victory in style.
What is next?
The tournament continues on Thursday November 14 as the last 16 continues, live on Sky Sports from 7pm.
Luke Littler will face Mike De Decker as Dimitri Van den Bergh plays Jermaine Wattimena in the knockout stages. That means Ryan Joyce is up against Gian Van Veen, with Gary Anderson facing Stephen Bunting.
