"I don’t think I’ve got a choice now. I think we’re there now" - Chinese restaurant dream on the cards for Justin Hood after unthinkable quarter-final run

Justin Hood was clinical in an emphatic 4-0 win over one of the title favourites Josh Rock as his hopes of owning a Chinese restaurant took a massive positive turn after reaching the quarter-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship.

Happy Feat was electric throughout the contest. While his scoring was decent, his doubling stole the show. He pinned his first 11 darts at a double, moving him within one of the match. Even Rock could only watch and smile, with him missing key opportunities at times but mostly not having a sniff. The misses did come at the end, with the Englishman almost winning it with a 143 checkout. He wrapped it up on double 13 for a 119 finish, sailing through to the quarter-finals on debut.

He was delighted with the victory as he reacted to his incredible performance after the match. "I won. No — I played well there. My doubles were amazing. Josh gave me a couple of chances and I took them, thankfully. I’m happy," he said in his press conference.

Hood's form on the outer ring was utterly ridiculous. After hitting 11 on the spin, it looked caertan that he was going to go through the entire best-of-seven set contest against one of the best players in the world without missing a double, but in the end he did slip up as he tried to wrap the match up.

When asked how he did this, he answered: "By hitting them. I was practising upstairs and my scoring was amazing, but my doubles were a bit ropey. So we had an hour just on doubles and it paid off."

After he finally missed on the outer ring, Rock seemed to say something to Hood. "I’m not 100 per cent sure, but I’m pretty sure he said, 'You’re six foot tall — about time you missed.'"

While he was playing incredibly, he was not paying attention to all of that with the eyes firmly on victory. "No. I don’t care how well I’m playing — it’s all about winning legs and sets," he stated. "I don’t care if I average 80. A big average’s nice, but it’s all about getting the win."

This begs the question on why Hood has shown this quality more throughout his first year as a tour card holder. Aside from a Players Championship quarter-final, success has been limited, with it all seemingly being saved for this tournament.

He put his poor form down to one thign: "Laziness. I’ve been very lazy this year. I’ve done half an hour’s practice a day, then turned up to the Pro Tours," he said. "The last six weeks, I’ve been putting in four or five hours a day, and it’s paying off. Next year, I’ll be doing it every day. Watch out."

This is a permanent change, and something which could continue see him rise through the darting ranks. "From now on, yeah. I’m playing all right, but there’s a lot more in there," he warned.

After already knocking out Rock and Danny Noppert, Hood's next task will be the winner of Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson in what is set to be an Ally Pally classic. Despite the calibre of his quarter-final opponent, Hood is not paying much attention to it. "I don’t worry about anyone. It doesn’t matter if it’s those two or someone who’s just got their tour card. It’s a game of darts. If I play like I can, I can beat them. If I don’t, they’ll beat me. But I’m confident I’ll win."

If Hood plays like he has done today, then it could be a pretty tough task for either van Gerwen or Anderson to compete, despite their immense quality they bring to the stage. "They’ve always got a chance. They’re legends of the sport," Hood admitted. "But if they beat me, they’ve got to earn it. I’m not worried about either of them."

These top players seem to at times put off other players when in their presence on the oche, but not for Hood. "No one beats me before I get on stage," he confidently stated. "They’ve got to earn it. I don’t care if it’s those two, Phil Taylor, or someone down the pub. If I play my game, I’ll beat anyone. If I don’t, they can beat me."

Hood has emerged as one of the Ally Pally heroes in this event, with there a long list of favourites who have taken to the stage. The crowd have firmly warmed to Hood, who is enjoying every minute of it. "I’ve never experienced anything like that," he exclaimed. "I’ve been to sporting events and music events, but to have people chanting your name and being on your side like that — it’s an amazing feeling. Long may it continue."

It was not just the fans that were chanting his name, but his family who was offering unconditional support from the very beginning. Hood picked out a certain person. "That bloke wasn’t my dad — we’re not even related. He just looks like me, but taller. That was Dan Glover. He’s my best mate. I do everything for them, and I’m happy I can make people proud."

Maybe even more crucial than the world championship, the £100k earned for reaching this stage will go a long way to Hood achieveing his dream of owning a Chinese restaurant, something he has been repeatidly working for, with all the hard work looking like it may have finally paid off. "I think we’re there. I don’t think I’ve got a choice now. I think we’re there now," he said.

The money is a big plus from an incredible couple of weeks, but not totally life-changing. "Yes and no. I don’t live above my means. It’s nice to have it in the bank, but I just get up there to throw darts. The money’s a massive bonus — I want that trophy now."

Back to the restaurant, and Hood disclosed that he will look into it after the final darts have been thrown at the World Championship. "No timeline yet. You’ve got to pay double. We’ll look into it after the Worlds. Half price? Get in."

The food that he may be selling could be used as fuel for his preparations for the last-eight tie. "Every game’s unknown for me. I’ll go back, probably have a Chinese — maybe two or three. But seriously, I’ll treat it the same as every other game: practise, eat good food, and get ready," he concluded.