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In a performance 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 third round of the elite World Darts Championship.

A Fairytale Start on the Biggest Stage

The 32-year-old, competing in his maiden season on the top-tier professional circuit, continued 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. Unfazed, he regrouped to clinCH 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 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 unaccustomed to this. Ordinarily, I get hate messages. This is absolutely insane.”

Laying Down a Marker with Blistering Start

Hood sent an early message about his intentions by winning the opening set with an 11-dart break. This left the higher-seeded Rock, the tournament's number 11, powerless but watch in awe as Hood stormed to victory, registering a impressive 101 average and firing in 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 launching a Chinese restaurant.

Clayton Climbs Amid Tough Battle

In other last-16 action, Jonny Clayton confirmed his ascent to fourth 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 subsequently wasting four darts to re-establish a one-set lead at 3-2.

“A number of things on my mind and becoming world No. 4 was among them,” confessed Clayton. “Whenever I looked up, Andreas was finding 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 pressure does to you.”

Ratajski Progresses into Last Eight

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