In a performance that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unheard-of 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.
The 32-year-old, taking part 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 regrouped to clinCH the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the following leg.
“This isn't a storybook – I know what I can do and it’s nice to prove 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. Usually, I get negative comments. This is mad.”
Hood immediately signaled his intentions by winning the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's number 11, powerless but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.
This record-breaking win ensures the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and edges him closer to his stated ambition of launching 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 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.
“A number of things on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was among them,” confessed Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my best darts and had a lot of loose throws, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Joining them in the quarter-final stage 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.
Mira Thorne is a seasoned slot gaming analyst with over a decade of experience, specializing in strategy development and game reviews.