In a performance that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unheard-of feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering his way to a commanding 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the third round of the elite World Darts Championship.
The 32-year-old, competing in his first ever season on the top-tier professional circuit, extended his sensational tournament run. His flawless doubling streak only ended when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Unfazed, he regrouped to clinCH the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the following leg.
“This isn't a storybook – I am fully aware of what I can do and it’s nice to demonstrate it up there,” Hood stated in his post-match interview. “The only time I felt a bit of nerves was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m not used to this. Usually, I get negative comments. This is absolutely insane.”
Hood immediately signaled his formidable challenge by winning the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's number 11, powerless but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, posting a formidable 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a career-best payday of at least ÂŁ100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise to the number four spot in the global rankings after engineering a fightback from a set down to defeat Andreas Harrysson 4-2.
The Swedish contender was made to regret for failing to capitalize on key opportunities, having led a 2-1 advantage and subsequently wasting four darts to regain a one-set lead at 3-2.
“There’s a lot on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was one of them,” admitted Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my top darts and had a lot of loose attempts, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Joining them in the next round is Krzysztof Ratajski, who pulled away in the closing phases to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the elite last eight of the championship.
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