In a performance that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering his way to a dominant 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the third round of the elite World Darts Championship.
The 32-year-old, competing in his maiden season on the premier professional circuit, continued 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. Undaunted, he regrouped to secure the victory with a superb 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 prove it up there,” Hood stated in his on-stage interview. “The sole moment I felt any pressure was throwing the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Usually, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
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 awe as Hood charged to victory, posting a formidable 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win guarantees the newcomer a career-best 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 ascent to fourth in the global rankings after mounting a comeback 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 then missing 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 a real battle; I didn’t play my best 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 found an extra gear in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the elite last eight of the championship.
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Chase Pierce
Chase Pierce
Chase Pierce
Chase Pierce