In a display that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood achieved 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 elite World Darts Championship.
The 32-year-old, competing in his maiden season on the top-tier professional circuit, extended his remarkable tournament run. His flawless doubling streak only ended when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Undaunted, he regrouped to secure the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the following leg.
“This isn't a storybook – I know what I can do and it’s incredibly satisfying to demonstrate it up there,” Hood remarked in his on-stage interview. “The only time 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 mad.”
Hood immediately signaled his formidable challenge by securing the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, powerless but watch in awe as Hood charged to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This record-breaking 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.
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified his rise to the number four spot in the global rankings after mounting 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 re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.
“A number of things on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was one of them,” admitted Clayton. “Every time I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was a real battle; I didn’t play my top darts and had a lot of loose throws, but that’s what the occasion does to you.”
Joining them in the quarter-final stage is Krzysztof Ratajski, who pulled away in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the prestigious last eight of the championship.