Surprise Package Justin Hood Smashes Record with Astonishing 11 Straight Doubles in World Championship Thrashing
In a performance that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, blasting his way to a dominant 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the third round of the elite World Darts Championship.
A Fairytale Start on the Grandest Arena
The 32-year-old, taking part in his first ever season on the premier professional circuit, extended 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. Unfazed, he regrouped to clinCH the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the following 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 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 securing the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, posting a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a career-best payday of at least £100,000 and edges him closer to his stated ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Climbs Amid Grueling Battle
In other third round 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 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 one of them,” confessed Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my best darts and had many loose throws, but that’s what the occasion does to you.”
Ratajski Rolls into Quarter-Finals
Joining them in the next round is Krzysztof Ratajski, who found an extra gear in the closing phases to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the prestigious last eight of the championship.