In a display that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering his way to a commanding 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the third round of the prestigious World Darts Championship.
The 32-year-old, taking part in his first ever season on the top-tier professional circuit, extended 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 spectacular 119 checkout in the very next leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I am fully aware of 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 a bit of nerves was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m not used to this. Usually, I get hate messages. This is mad.”
Hood immediately signaled his formidable challenge by securing the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, little to do but watch in awe as Hood charged to victory, posting a impressive 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win guarantees the newcomer a career-best payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified his ascent to fourth 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 failing to capitalize on key opportunities, after establishing a 2-1 advantage and then missing four darts to regain a one-set lead at 3-2.
“A number of things on my mind and becoming world No. 4 was among 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 a lot of loose throws, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Joining them in the next round is Krzysztof Ratajski, who pulled away in the closing phases to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the prestigious last eight of the championship.
A passionate gamer and content creator specializing in loot mechanics and game rewards.