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Justin Hood sets doubles record as dream debut continues with win over Antrim's Josh Rock

Hood is playing his first season on the PDC tour.

UNDERDOG JUSTIN HOOD reeled off a record 11 consecutive doubles en route to a stunning 4-0 win over Josh Rock in the last 16 of the PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.

The 32-year-old debutant continued his stunning run in the tournament and only missed his first double when he threw for the match at 2-0 up in the fourth set.

He stepped back to take out the match on a 119 finish in the following leg, guaranteeing a career-best payday of at least £100,000 and taking him closer to his dream of opening a Chinese restaurant.

Hood, playing his first season on the PDC tour, said in his on-stage interview: “It’s not a fairytale – I know what I can do and it’s nice to prove it up there.

“The only time I had a bit of nerves was when I was throwing the leg before (the last one). I’m not used to this. I usually get hate messages. This is mad.”

Hood set the tone for the tie when he won the first set with an 11-dart break of throw, leaving 11th seed Rock to watch on with wonder as he stormed to victory, finishing with a 101 average and 10 180s.

englands-justin-hood-left-celebrates-winning-his-match-against-northern-irelands-josh-rock-on-day-seventeen-of-the-paddy-power-world-darts-championship-at-the-alexandra-palace-london-picture-dat England's Justin Hood (left) celebrates winning his match against Northern Ireland's Josh Rock on day seventeen of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship at the Alexandra Palace, London Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Jonny Clayton confirmed his rise to fourth in the world after hitting back from a set down to defeat Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson in their last-16 clash.

Harrysson paid the price for failing to take his chances after leading 2-1 and also missing four darts to re-establish his one-set lead at 3-2.

Clayton said: “There’s a lot of things on my mind and moving to world number four was one of them.

“Every time I looked up, Andreas was hitting doubles. It was tough, I didn’t play my best and had a lot of loose darts, but that’s what pressure does to you.”

Krzysztof Ratajski is also through to the quarter-finals after pulling away to defeat Luke Woodhouse 4-2.

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