Surprise Package Justin Hood Demolishes Record with Stunning 11 Straight Doubles in World Championship Thrashing
In a display that rewrote the history 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 prestigious World Darts Championship.
A Dream Debut on the Grandest Arena
The 32-year-old, taking part in his maiden season on the top-tier professional circuit, continued his remarkable tournament run. His flawless doubling streak finally concluded when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Undaunted, he regrouped to clinCH the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the very next leg.
“This isn't a storybook – I know what I can do and it’s incredibly satisfying 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. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
Laying Down a Marker with Blistering Start
Hood immediately signaled his intentions by winning the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's number 11, little to do but watch in awe as Hood stormed to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a career-best payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Advances Amid Grueling Battle
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton solidified his ascent 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 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 moving to world No. 4 was among them,” confessed Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was a real battle; I didn’t play my best darts and had many loose throws, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Ratajski Rolls 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.