In a display that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood achieved 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, taking part in his maiden season on the top-tier professional circuit, extended his remarkable tournament run. His perfect doubling streak only ended when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Undaunted, he composed himself to clinCH the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the following leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I am fully aware of what I can do and it’s nice to prove it up there,” Hood stated in his post-match interview. “The sole moment I felt any pressure was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get negative comments. This is mad.”
Hood immediately signaled his intentions by winning the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, registering a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win guarantees the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and edges him closer to his stated ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise to fourth in the global rankings after mounting a fightback from a set down to defeat Andreas Harrysson 4-2.
The Swedish contender was made to regret for squandering 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 one of them,” admitted Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my top darts and had many loose attempts, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Joining them in the next round is Krzysztof Ratajski, who found an extra gear in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the prestigious last eight of the championship.
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