Underdog Justin Hood Demolishes Record with Stunning 11 Straight Doubles in Global Showdown Thrashing
In a display that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering his way to a dominant 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the third round of the elite World Darts Championship.
A Dream Debut on the Biggest Stage
The 32-year-old, competing in his first ever season on the premier professional circuit, continued his sensational tournament run. His perfect 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 spectacular 119 checkout in the following leg.
“This isn't a storybook – I am fully aware of what I can do and it’s incredibly satisfying to prove it up there,” Hood stated 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. Ordinarily, I get negative comments. This is absolutely insane.”
Setting the Tone with Electrifying Start
Hood immediately signaled his intentions by securing the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood stormed to victory, posting a formidable 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win guarantees the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least ÂŁ100,000 and edges him closer to his stated ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Climbs Amid Grueling Battle
In other last-16 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 was made to regret for squandering key opportunities, after establishing a 2-1 advantage and then missing four darts to re-establish 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 hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my top darts and had a lot of loose throws, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Ratajski Rolls into Last Eight
Joining them in the next round is Krzysztof Ratajski, who pulled away in the closing phases to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the elite last eight of the championship.