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

A Fairytale Start on the Biggest Stage

The 32-year-old, taking part in his maiden season on the premier professional circuit, continued his sensational tournament run. His perfect doubling streak finally concluded when he was throwing 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.

“This isn't a storybook – I am fully aware of what I can do and it’s incredibly satisfying to demonstrate it up there,” Hood remarked in his post-match 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 negative comments. This is mad.”

Setting the Tone with Electrifying Start

Hood sent an early message about his intentions by securing the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the favored Rock, the tournament's 11th seed, powerless but watch in awe as Hood stormed to victory, posting 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 opening a Chinese restaurant.

Clayton Advances Amid Tough Battle

In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton solidified his ascent 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 was made to regret for squandering key opportunities, after establishing a 2-1 advantage and subsequently wasting 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 among them,” admitted Clayton. “Every time I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was a real battle; I didn’t play my top darts and had a lot of loose attempts, 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 later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the elite last eight of the championship.