In one of the most remarkable performances in recent PDC World Darts Championship history, debutant Justin Hood produced a stunning display to whitewash Josh Rock 4-0 and storm into the quarter-finals at London's Alexandra Palace.
A Record-Breaking Display of Doubles
The 32-year-old, playing in his first season on the professional tour, etched his name into the record books by reeling off an incredible 11 consecutive doubles. His relentless accuracy only faltered when he threw for the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set, but he immediately composed himself to seal a famous victory with a superb 119 checkout in the following leg.
This sensational win guarantees Hood a career-best payday of at least £100,000 and moves him significantly closer to his stated dream of opening a Chinese restaurant. His performance was near-flawless from the start, setting the tone with an 11-dart break of throw to win the opening set, leaving the 11th seed Rock looking on in disbelief.
From 'Hate Messages' to Alexandra Palace Adulation
Speaking in his emotional on-stage interview, an overwhelmed Hood reflected on his rapid ascent. "It's not a fairytale - I know what I can do and it's nice to prove it up there," he stated. "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."
The statistics underscored the magnitude of his triumph. Hood finished the match with a stellar three-dart average of 101 and peppered the treble 20 bed with 10 maximum 180s, completely overpowering his highly-fancied opponent.
Clayton and Ratajski Join Hood in Last Eight
The drama at Ally Pally continued as Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise to fourth in the world rankings after a hard-fought comeback victory. The Welshman battled back from a set down to defeat Sweden's Andreas Harrysson 4-2 in their last-16 clash. Harrysson rued missed opportunities, failing to capitalise on a 2-1 lead and later squandering four darts to re-establish a one-set advantage at 3-2.
"There's a lot of things on my mind and moving to world number four was one of them," Clayton admitted afterwards. "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 booked his place in the quarter-finals, pulling away to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse in Tuesday's other last-16 encounter. The tournament continues to deliver high drama and unexpected narratives as it reaches its thrilling climax in North London.
