Underdog Justin Hood Smashes Record with Stunning 11 Straight Doubles in World Championship Thrashing
In a display that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering his way to a commanding 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the last 16 of the elite World Darts Championship.
A Fairytale Start on the Biggest Stage
The 32-year-old, taking part in his maiden season on the premier professional circuit, extended his sensational 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 clinCH the victory with a superb 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 only time I felt a bit of nerves was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Usually, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
Laying Down a Marker with Electrifying 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 higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, powerless but watch in amazement as Hood stormed to victory, posting 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 brings him closer to his avowed ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Climbs Amid Tough Battle
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified his ascent to fourth in the global rankings after engineering a comeback 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 re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.
“A number of things on my mind and becoming world No. 4 was among them,” confessed Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was a real battle; I didn’t play my top darts and had many loose throws, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Ratajski Rolls into Quarter-Finals
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.