Underdog Justin Hood Demolishes Record with Stunning 11 Straight Doubles in World Championship Thrashing
In a performance that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unheard-of feat of 11 consecutive doubles, blasting 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 Grandest Arena
The 32-year-old, taking part in his first ever season on the top-tier professional circuit, extended his remarkable 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 regrouped to clinCH the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the following 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 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 mad.”
Setting the Tone with Blistering Start
Hood immediately signaled his formidable challenge by securing the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, powerless but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, posting a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a career-best payday of at least ÂŁ100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Climbs Amid Grueling Battle
In other third round 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 was made to regret for squandering key opportunities, having led a 2-1 advantage and subsequently wasting four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.
“A number of things on my mind and becoming world No. 4 was one of them,” confessed Clayton. “Every time I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was a real battle; I didn’t play my best darts and had many 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 found an extra gear in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the prestigious last eight of the championship.