In a performance that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, blasting 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, taking part in his maiden season on the top-tier 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. Unfazed, he regrouped to clinCH the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the following leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I know what I can do and it’s nice to demonstrate it up there,” Hood stated in his on-stage interview. “The only time I felt any pressure was throwing the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Usually, I get negative comments. This is absolutely insane.”
Hood sent an early message about his intentions by securing the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's number 11, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, registering a impressive 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and edges him closer to his stated ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise to the number four spot in the global rankings after engineering a fightback 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 subsequently wasting four darts to regain a one-set lead at 3-2.
“There’s a lot 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 the occasion does to you.”
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, booking his place in the elite last eight of the championship.
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