World Darts Championship star Rusty-Jake Rodriguez flung his darts off the table in a fit of rage during his straight-sets defeat to Cameron Menzies on Friday. The Austrian had a chance to claim the second set and begin a comeback on the tournament’s opening night, but his evening ended in disappointment as tempers flared at Alexandra Palace.
After losing the first set, Rodriguez had a chance to tie the match but missed a golden opportunity to move to 1-1 as he forced a decider in the second set. However, he was unable to take that opportunity and his tempers boiled over, throwing his darts off the table and towards the Ally Pally crowd. No spectators were harmed by his reaction.
He flung his darts down at the table and they ricocheted away from him, as he then went over to retrieve his darts from the crowd. He could then be seen shaking his head and shouting words at himself after going two sets down.
The pair also took some time to shake hands after the match, with Scottish star Menzies showing off his stomach to the crowd in celebration. The commentators noted that such respectful exchange did not take place until the last moment when they were exiting the stage.
As Rodriguez left the stage 2-0 down he repeatedly slapped his own head, visibly frustrated with his own performance against the man who started the day working as a plumber.
Menzies took to social media on Friday morning as he started his working day, having been unable to get the day off and had to settle for a half-day before travelling from Milton Keynes to Alexandra Palace.
“Working before the world’s. What a joy,” Menzies wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) as he snapped a picture of himself working on a customer’s bathroom, before adding another update as he left for the first round of the World Championship: “Plumbing at 11 darts at 8. Finished.”
Menzies showed no sign of being overworked as he was in full control of the contest, eventually pinning double three to advance to the next round.
Victory for Menzies over Rodriguez sets up a second-round tie with Dave Chisnall and ensures that he will pocket at least £15,000, as his frustrated opponent must console himself with £7,500.