Underdog Justin Hood Demolishes Record with Astonishing 11 Straight Doubles in World Championship Thrashing
In a performance that rewrote the history 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 last 16 of the elite World Darts Championship.
A Dream Debut on the Biggest Stage
The 32-year-old, competing in his maiden season on the premier professional circuit, continued his remarkable tournament run. His perfect 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 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 incredibly satisfying to demonstrate it up there,” Hood remarked in his post-match interview. “The sole moment I felt any pressure was throwing the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
Setting the Tone with Electrifying Start
Hood immediately signaled his formidable challenge by winning 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 stormed to victory, registering a impressive 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 edges him closer to his avowed ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
Clayton Advances Amid Tough Battle
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton solidified his rise to fourth in the global rankings after engineering a comeback 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 subsequently wasting 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 hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my best darts and had a lot of loose attempts, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Ratajski Progresses into Last Eight
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, earning his spot in the elite last eight of the championship.
