In a display 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 third round of the prestigious World Darts Championship.
The 32-year-old, taking part in his maiden 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 composed himself to secure the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the following leg.
âThis isn't a storybook â I am fully aware of what I can do and itâs incredibly satisfying to demonstrate it up there,â Hood stated in his on-stage interview. âThe only time I felt any pressure was on my throw the leg before the last. Iâm unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.â
Hood sent an early message about his formidable challenge by winning the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, powerless but watch in awe as Hood stormed to victory, registering a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This record-breaking win guarantees the newcomer a career-best payday of at least ÂŁ100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise 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, having led a 2-1 advantage and then missing four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.
âA number of things on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was among them,â confessed Clayton. âWhenever I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was a real battle; I didnât play my best darts and had many loose throws, but thatâs what the occasion does to you.â
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, booking his place in the prestigious last eight of the championship.
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