Underdog Justin Hood Demolishes Record with Astonishing 11 Straight Doubles in Global Showdown Rout

In a performance that etched his name in the record 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 prestigious World Darts Championship.

A Dream Debut on the Grandest Arena

The 32-year-old, competing in his first ever season on the premier 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. Undaunted, he composed himself to secure 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 stated in his post-match interview. “The only time I felt a bit of nerves was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is mad.”

Setting the Tone with Blistering Start

Hood immediately signaled his formidable challenge by winning the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's number 11, little to do but watch in amazement 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 avowed ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.

Clayton Advances Amid Tough Battle

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 ultimately paid the price for failing to capitalize on key opportunities, having led 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 among them,” confessed Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my top darts and had a lot of loose throws, but that’s what the occasion does to you.”

Ratajski Progresses into Last Eight

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 prestigious last eight of the championship.

Aaron Collins
Aaron Collins

Maya Chen is a data scientist and tech writer specializing in AI applications for business analytics and digital transformation.