In a display that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unheard-of feat of 11 consecutive doubles, blasting his way to a dominant 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the last 16 of the prestigious World Darts Championship.
The 32-year-old, competing in his first ever season on the top-tier 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 clinCH the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the following leg.
āItās not a fairytale ā I know what I can do and itās nice to demonstrate it up there,ā Hood remarked in his post-match interview. āThe sole moment I felt a bit of nerves was throwing the leg before the last. Iām not used to this. Usually, I get hate messages. This is mad.ā
Hood sent an early message about his intentions by winning 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 stormed to victory, registering a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his ascent to the number four spot in the global rankings after mounting 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 then missing four darts to regain a one-set lead at 3-2.
āA number of things on my mind and becoming world No. 4 was one of them,ā confessed Clayton. āEvery time I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was a real battle; I didnāt play my best darts and had many loose throws, but thatās what pressure does to you.ā
Joining them in the quarter-final stage is Krzysztof Ratajski, who pulled away in the closing phases to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the prestigious last eight of the championship.