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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 elite World Darts Championship.

A Fairytale Start on the Grandest Arena

The 32-year-old, taking part in his maiden season on the top-tier professional circuit, extended his remarkable tournament run. His perfect doubling streak only ended 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 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 sole moment I felt a bit of nerves was on my throw the leg before the last. I’m not used to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is mad.”

Laying Down a Marker with Electrifying Start

Hood sent an early message about his formidable challenge by securing the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, little to do but watch in awe as Hood charged to victory, posting a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.

This record-breaking win ensures the newcomer a life-changing payday of at least £100,000 and brings him closer to his stated ambition of opening a Chinese restaurant.

Clayton Climbs Amid Tough Battle

In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton solidified 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 squandering 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. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was a real battle; I didn’t play my top darts and had many loose throws, but that’s what the occasion does to you.”

Ratajski Progresses into Last Eight

Joining them in the next round is Krzysztof Ratajski, who found an extra gear in the closing phases to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the prestigious last eight of the championship.