🔗 Share this article

In a display that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood pulled off an unprecedented feat of 11 consecutive doubles, powering his way to a dominant 4-0 victory over Josh Rock in the third round 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 sensational tournament run. His flawless doubling streak finally concluded when he was throwing to seal the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set. Unfazed, he composed himself to clinCH the victory with a superb 119 checkout in the very next leg.

“It’s not a fairytale – I am fully aware of what I can do and it’s nice to demonstrate it up there,” Hood remarked in his post-match interview. “The sole moment I felt a bit of nerves was throwing the leg before the last. I’m unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get negative comments. This is mad.”

Setting the Tone with Blistering Start

Hood immediately signaled his intentions by securing the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, little to do but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, posting a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.

This historic win guarantees the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and edges 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 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 was made to regret for failing to capitalize on key opportunities, having led 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 among them,” admitted Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was a real battle; 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 later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the prestigious last eight of the championship.