In a display that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering 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 premier professional circuit, extended his sensational tournament run. His perfect doubling streak only ended when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Unfazed, he composed himself 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 prove 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 hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”
Hood sent an early message about his formidable challenge 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 amazement as Hood charged to victory, posting a formidable 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.
This record-breaking win ensures the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least ÂŁ100,000 and brings him closer to his avowed ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.
In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified his ascent to the number four spot in the global rankings after engineering a comeback from a set down to defeat Andreas Harrysson 4-2.
The Swedish contender was made to regret for failing to capitalize on 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 becoming world No. 4 was one of them,” admitted Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was a real battle; I didn’t play my top darts and had many loose attempts, but that’s what the occasion does to you.”
Joining them in the quarter-final stage is Krzysztof Ratajski, who found an extra gear in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the elite last eight of the championship.
Elara Vance is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and consumer electronics.