Surprise Package Justin Hood Smashes Record with Astonishing 11 Straight Doubles in World Championship Thrashing
In a performance that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unheard-of feat of 11 consecutive doubles, blasting his way to a commanding 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the last 16 of the elite World Darts Championship.
A Fairytale Start on the Grandest Arena
The 32-year-old, taking part in his maiden season on the premier professional circuit, continued his remarkable tournament run. His flawless doubling streak finally concluded when he had a chance to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Undaunted, he regrouped to secure the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the following leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I am fully aware of 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 throwing the leg before the last. I’m not used to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
Laying Down a Marker with Blistering Start
Hood immediately signaled his formidable challenge by winning the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood stormed to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win guarantees the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and edges him closer to his avowed ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Climbs Amid Tough Battle
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise 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, after establishing 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 among them,” confessed Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was a real battle; I didn’t play my top darts and had many loose attempts, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Ratajski Progresses into Last Eight
Joining them in the quarter-final stage 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.
