In a performance that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unheard-of feat of 11 consecutive doubles, blasting his way to a dominant 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, continued 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. Unfazed, he composed himself to clinCH the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the following leg.
āThis isn't a storybook ā I know 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 unaccustomed 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, powerless but watch in awe as Hood charged to victory, posting a formidable 101 average and hammering 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 opening a Chinese restaurant.
In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise 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 squandering key opportunities, having led a 2-1 advantage and subsequently wasting four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.
āA number of things on my mind and becoming world No. 4 was among them,ā confessed Clayton. āWhenever I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was a real battle; I didnāt play my top darts and had many loose throws, but thatās what the occasion does to you.ā
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, earning his spot in the prestigious last eight of the championship.
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