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In a display that etched his name in the record books, debutant Justin Hood achieved an unprecedented 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 Dream Debut on the Grandest Arena

The 32-year-old, competing in his maiden season on the premier professional circuit, extended his remarkable tournament run. His flawless 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 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 incredibly satisfying to prove it up there,” Hood stated 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. Usually, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”

Laying Down a Marker with Blistering 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 number 11, powerless but watch in amazement as Hood charged to victory, posting a impressive 101 average and firing in 10 maximum 180s.

This historic win ensures 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 Climbs Amid Grueling Battle

In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise to fourth in the global rankings after engineering a fightback 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 among them,” admitted Clayton. “Every time I looked up, Andreas was hitting his doubles. It was tough; I didn’t play my best darts and had a lot of loose attempts, but that’s what pressure does to you.”

Ratajski Rolls into Last Eight

Joining them in the quarter-final stage is Krzysztof Ratajski, who found an extra gear in the later stages to secure a 4-2 win over Luke Woodhouse, booking his place in the elite last eight of the championship.