🔗 Share this article

In a display that rewrote the history books, debutant Justin Hood achieved 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 elite World Darts Championship.

A Fairytale Start on the Grandest Arena

The 32-year-old, competing in his maiden season on the top-tier professional circuit, extended his remarkable 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. Undaunted, he composed himself to clinCH the victory with a spectacular 119 checkout in the very next 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 remarked in his on-stage interview. “The sole moment I felt a bit of nerves was throwing the leg before the last. I’m not used to this. Usually, I get negative comments. This is mad.”

Laying Down a Marker with Blistering Start

Hood sent an early message about his intentions 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 amazement as Hood stormed to victory, registering a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.

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

Clayton Advances Amid Tough Battle

In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise to the number four spot in the global rankings after engineering a comeback 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.

“A number of things on my mind and moving to world No. 4 was one of them,” confessed Clayton. “Every time 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, earning his spot in the prestigious last eight of the championship.