🔗 Share this article

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

A Fairytale Start on the Grandest Arena

The 32-year-old, taking part in his first ever season on the top-tier 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 regrouped to clinCH the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the following leg.

“It’s not a fairytale – I am fully aware of what I can do and it’s nice to prove it up there,” Hood remarked in his post-match interview. “The sole moment I felt any pressure was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get negative comments. This is absolutely insane.”

Setting the Tone with Electrifying Start

Hood immediately signaled his formidable challenge by winning the opening set with an lightning-fast break of throw. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, powerless but watch in amazement as Hood stormed to victory, registering a formidable 101 average and hammering 10 maximum 180s.

This historic win guarantees the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to his avowed ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.

Clayton Climbs Amid Tough Battle

In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise to fourth in the global rankings after mounting 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 subsequently wasting four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.

“There’s a lot on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was among them,” confessed Clayton. “Every time I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my top darts and had many loose throws, but that’s what the occasion does to you.”

Ratajski Rolls into Quarter-Finals

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.