Underdog Justin Hood Smashes Record with Astonishing 11 Straight Doubles in Global Showdown Rout
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.
A Dream Debut on the Grandest Arena
The 32-year-old, competing in his maiden season on the premier professional circuit, continued his sensational tournament run. His perfect doubling streak finally concluded 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 very next leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I know what I can do and it’s incredibly satisfying to prove it up there,” Hood stated in his on-stage interview. “The only time I felt a bit of nerves was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
Setting the Tone with Blistering Start
Hood sent an early message about his formidable challenge by winning the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, powerless but watch in awe as Hood stormed to victory, posting a impressive 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a career-best payday of at least ÂŁ100,000 and edges him closer to his avowed ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Advances Amid Tough Battle
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified 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 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.
“A number of things on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was one of them,” confessed Clayton. “Every time I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my top darts and had a lot of loose attempts, but that’s what the occasion 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, booking his place in the prestigious last eight of the championship.
