In a performance 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.
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 had a chance to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Unfazed, he composed himself to secure the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the very next leg.
āItās not a fairytale ā I am fully aware of what I can do and itās incredibly satisfying to prove it up there,ā Hood stated in his post-match interview. āThe sole moment I felt any pressure was on my throw the leg before the last. Iām not used to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.ā
Hood sent an early message about his intentions by securing the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, little to do but watch in awe as Hood stormed to victory, registering a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This historic win ensures the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and edges him closer to his avowed ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise to fourth in the global rankings after mounting a comeback from a set down to defeat Andreas Harrysson 4-2.
The Swedish contender ultimately paid the price for squandering key opportunities, after establishing a 2-1 advantage and subsequently wasting four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.
āThereās a lot on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was among them,ā confessed Clayton. āEvery time I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was tough; I didnāt play my top darts and had a lot of loose attempts, but thatās what pressure does to you.ā
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.