In a performance that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, blasting his way to a commanding 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the last 16 of the elite World Darts Championship.
The 32-year-old, taking part in his first ever season on the premier professional circuit, extended his remarkable tournament run. His flawless doubling streak only ended when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Unfazed, he composed himself to secure the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the very next leg.
“This isn't a storybook – I know 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 any pressure was throwing the leg before the last. I’m not used to this. Usually, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
Hood immediately signaled his intentions by securing the opening set with an 11-dart break. 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 record-breaking win ensures the newcomer a career-best payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his ascent 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 ultimately paid the price for squandering key opportunities, having led a 2-1 advantage and then missing four darts to regain a one-set lead at 3-2.
“A number of things on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was one of 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 attempts, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
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, booking his place in the elite last eight of the championship.
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