In a display that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering his way to a dominant 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 premier professional circuit, extended his sensational 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 very next leg.
“It’s not a fairytale – I know what I can do and it’s nice 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 unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get negative comments. This is absolutely insane.”
Hood sent an early message about 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 amazement as Hood stormed to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and edges him closer to his stated ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his ascent to fourth in the global rankings after mounting 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, having led a 2-1 advantage and then missing four darts to regain a one-set lead at 3-2.
“There’s a lot on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was one of them,” admitted Clayton. “Whenever 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 later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the prestigious last eight of the championship.
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