🔗 Share this article

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

A Dream Debut on the Biggest Stage

The 32-year-old, taking part in his first ever season on the top-tier professional circuit, extended his sensational tournament run. His flawless doubling streak finally concluded 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.

“It’s not a fairytale – I know what I can do and it’s nice to prove it up there,” Hood stated in his on-stage interview. “The sole moment 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 absolutely insane.”

Laying Down a Marker with Electrifying Start

Hood sent an early message about his intentions by securing the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, powerless but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.

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

Clayton Advances Amid Tough Battle

In other third round action, Jonny Clayton solidified his ascent to the number four spot in the global rankings after engineering a fightback from a set down to defeat Andreas Harrysson 4-2.

The Swedish contender ultimately paid the price for failing to capitalize on key opportunities, after establishing a 2-1 advantage and then missing four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.

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

Ratajski Rolls into Quarter-Finals

Joining them in the quarter-final stage is Krzysztof Ratajski, who pulled away in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, earning his spot in the elite last eight of the championship.