Underdog Justin Hood Demolishes Record with Astonishing 11 Straight Doubles in Global Showdown Thrashing
In a display that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unheard-of feat of 11 consecutive doubles, blasting his way to a dominant 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the last 16 of the prestigious World Darts Championship.
A Dream Debut on the Biggest Stage
The 32-year-old, competing in his first ever season on the premier professional circuit, extended his remarkable tournament run. His perfect doubling streak finally concluded when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Undaunted, he regrouped to secure the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the following leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I know what I can do and it’s nice to demonstrate it up there,” Hood stated in his on-stage interview. “The sole moment I felt a bit of nerves was throwing the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is mad.”
Laying Down a Marker with Blistering Start
Hood immediately signaled his intentions by securing the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood stormed to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a career-best payday of at least ÂŁ100,000 and edges him closer to his avowed ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Climbs Amid Tough Battle
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified his rise to fourth in the global rankings after engineering a comeback from a set down to defeat Andreas Harrysson 4-2.
The Swedish contender ultimately paid the price for failing to capitalize on key opportunities, having led a 2-1 advantage and subsequently wasting four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.
“A number of things on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was one of them,” confessed Clayton. “Every time I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my best darts and had a lot of loose attempts, but that’s what the occasion does to you.”
Ratajski Rolls into Quarter-Finals
Joining them in the quarter-final stage is Krzysztof Ratajski, who found an extra gear in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the prestigious last eight of the championship.