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 commanding 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 sensational tournament run. His perfect doubling streak only ended when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Undaunted, he composed himself to secure the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the following leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I know what I can do and it’s nice to prove it up there,” Hood remarked in his on-stage interview. “The sole moment I felt any pressure was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Usually, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
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 number 11, powerless but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This record-breaking 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.
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton solidified 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 ultimately paid the price for squandering key opportunities, having led a 2-1 advantage and then missing four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.
“A number of things on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was one of them,” admitted Clayton. “Every time I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my top darts and had many loose attempts, but that’s what the occasion does to you.”
Joining them in the next round is Krzysztof Ratajski, who pulled away 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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