In a performance that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unprecedented 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, taking part in his maiden season on the top-tier professional circuit, extended his remarkable 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 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 demonstrate it up there,” Hood remarked in his post-match interview. “The sole moment I felt any pressure was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m not used to this. Ordinarily, I get negative comments. This is absolutely insane.”
Hood sent an early message about his intentions 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 hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This record-breaking win ensures the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least ÂŁ100,000 and edges him closer to his avowed ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified his rise to the number four spot 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 squandering key opportunities, after establishing a 2-1 advantage and then missing four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.
“There’s a lot on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was among them,” admitted 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 throws, but that’s what the occasion does to you.”
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, booking his place in the prestigious last eight of the championship.
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