Underdog Justin Hood Smashes Record with Astonishing 11 Straight Doubles in World Championship Thrashing
In a performance that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unprecedented 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, taking part in his first ever season on the top-tier professional circuit, continued his sensational tournament run. His perfect doubling streak finally concluded when he had a chance to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Undaunted, he composed himself to secure the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the following leg.
“This isn't a storybook – I know what I can do and it’s incredibly satisfying to demonstrate it up there,” Hood remarked in his on-stage interview. “The sole moment I felt a bit of nerves was throwing the leg before the last. I’m not used to this. Usually, I get negative comments. This is absolutely insane.”
Laying Down a Marker with Blistering Start
Hood sent an early message about his intentions by securing the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood stormed to victory, posting a impressive 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win guarantees the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and edges him closer to his avowed ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Advances Amid Tough Battle
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified his ascent to fourth in the global rankings after engineering a fightback from a set down to defeat Andreas Harrysson 4-2.
The Swedish contender ultimately paid the price 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. “Every time I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my best darts and had many loose throws, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Ratajski Rolls into Last Eight
Joining them in the quarter-final stage is Krzysztof Ratajski, who found an extra gear in the closing phases to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the prestigious last eight of the championship.