🔗 Share this article

In a performance that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering his way to a commanding 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the last 16 of the elite World Darts Championship.

A Fairytale Start on the Grandest Arena

The 32-year-old, taking part in his maiden season on the premier professional circuit, extended his sensational tournament run. His perfect doubling streak finally concluded when he had a chance to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Unfazed, he composed himself to clinCH the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the following leg.

“This isn't a storybook – I am fully aware of what I can do and it’s nice to demonstrate it up there,” Hood stated 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. Ordinarily, I get negative comments. This is absolutely insane.”

Setting the Tone with Electrifying Start

Hood sent an early message about his formidable challenge by winning the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, powerless but watch in awe as Hood stormed to victory, registering a impressive 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.

This historic win guarantees the newcomer a career-best payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of launching a Chinese restaurant.

Clayton Advances Amid Tough Battle

In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton solidified his rise to fourth 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, after establishing a 2-1 advantage and subsequently wasting four darts to regain a one-set lead at 3-2.

“There’s a lot on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was one of them,” confessed Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was finding his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my best darts and had many loose throws, but that’s what pressure does to you.”

Ratajski Progresses into Last Eight

Joining them in the next round 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.