Justin Hood, the underdog from Bath, made a remarkable impression at the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace by hitting a record 11 consecutive doubles on his way to a commanding 4-0 victory over 11th seed Josh Rock in the last 16.
The 32-year-old, playing his first season on the PDC tour, showcased extraordinary composure and precision throughout the match. Hood only missed his first double attempt when throwing for the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set, quickly recovering to seal the win with a clinical 119 finish. This victory guarantees Hood a career-best payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to realizing his dream of opening a Chinese restaurant.
Reflecting on his performance during the on-stage interview, Hood expressed confidence and calmness: “It’s not a fairytale – I know what I can do and it’s nice to prove it up there. The only time I had a bit of nerves was when I was throwing the leg before (the last one). I’m not used to this. I usually get hate messages. This is mad.”
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Hood set the tone early by breaking Rock’s throw with a stunning 11-dart first set. He maintained relentless pressure, finishing the match with an impressive 101 average and landing ten 180s.
Meanwhile, Jonny Clayton confirmed his ascent to fourth in the world rankings after rallying from a set down to beat Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson 4-3. Despite Harrysson’s early lead and missed opportunities to close out the match, Clayton’s resilience prevailed.
Clayton commented on the challenging encounter: “There’s a lot of things on my mind and moving to world number four was one of them. Every time I looked up, Andreas was hitting doubles. It was tough, I didn’t play my best and had a lot of loose darts, but that’s what pressure does to you.”
Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski also advanced to the quarter-finals, overpowering Luke Woodhouse 4-2 in their last-16 battle.