Surprise Package Justin Hood Smashes Record with Astonishing 11 Straight Doubles in Global Showdown Thrashing
In a performance that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unheard-of feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering his way to a dominant 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the third round of the prestigious World Darts Championship.
A Fairytale Start on the Biggest Stage
The 32-year-old, competing in his first ever season on the premier professional circuit, extended 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 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 incredibly satisfying to prove it up there,” Hood remarked in his post-match interview. “The only time I felt a bit of nerves was throwing the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed 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 formidable challenge by winning the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood stormed to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win guarantees the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Climbs Amid Tough Battle
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified 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 squandering 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 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 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 pulled away in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the elite last eight of the championship.