Debutant Hood Beats Rock 4-0 in Darts Last 16

In a stunning upset at the PDC World Darts Championship, debutant Justin Hood dismantled 11th seed Josh Rock 4-0 in the last 16 round on Thursday at London's Alexandra Palace, capping his performance with a record 11 consecutive doubles.

The 32-year-old from Glastonbury, competing in his first season on the PDC Tour, dominated from the outset. Hood opened the match by breaking Rock's throw in an 11-dart leg to claim the first set, setting a tone of relentless precision. He maintained a blistering pace, hitting 10 maximum 180 scores and finishing with a three-digit average of 101. His doubles streak, which spanned 11 attempts without a miss, electrified the Ally Pally crowd and nearly shattered the tournament record. The run ended only when Hood, leading 2-0 in the fourth set, missed his double while throwing for the match. He quickly recovered, sealing the victory with a 119 checkout in the following leg.

The win guarantees Hood a career-high prize of at least 100,000 pounds and advances him to his first quarterfinal, where he will face either former world champion Michael van Gerwen or Gary Anderson. It marks Hood's second seeded scalp in the tournament; he earlier overcame...