Underdog Justin Hood Smashes Record with Stunning 11 Straight Doubles in Global Showdown Thrashing
In a performance that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unheard-of feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering 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 Grandest Arena
The 32-year-old, taking part in his first ever season on the top-tier professional circuit, continued his remarkable tournament run. His perfect doubling streak only ended when he had a chance to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Undaunted, he regrouped to secure the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the very next leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I know what I can do and it’s incredibly satisfying to demonstrate it up there,” Hood remarked in his on-stage interview. “The only time I felt a bit of nerves was throwing the leg before the last. I’m not used to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
Laying Down a Marker with Blistering Start
Hood sent an early message about his formidable challenge by securing the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, powerless but watch in awe as Hood stormed to victory, registering a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This record-breaking win ensures the newcomer a career-best payday of at least £100,000 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 confirmed his rise to the number four spot in the global rankings after mounting a fightback from a set down to defeat Andreas Harrysson 4-2.
The Swedish contender ultimately paid the price for failing to capitalize on key opportunities, after establishing 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 among them,” confessed Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my best darts and had a lot of loose attempts, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Ratajski Progresses into Last Eight
Joining them in the next round is Krzysztof Ratajski, who pulled away in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the prestigious last eight of the championship.