LONDON - Justin Hood has said his World Championship fourth round win over Josh Rock means he now has enough money to realise his dream of opening a Chinese restaurant.
Hood, 32, had a perfect 11/11 record on doubles before the last two legs of the match, eventually ending up with a 75% success rate (12/16).
"I was practicing upstairs and my scoring was amazing," he told a news conference. "My doubles were a bit ropey. So we had an hour just on doubles and [it] paid off."
Hood's fourth round win is the latest step in a remarkable journey from relative obscurity to a dream World Championship run in which he has knocked out two seeds in Rock (No. 11) and Noppert (No. 6) as well as the very capable Ryan Meikle and Nick Kenny.
The 5 ft. 4 in. marksman has previously revealed that he and his wife worked night shifts in a warehouse for 10 years before spending "all our savings" on an eight-week stay in a hotel in Milton Keynes as he tried -- and succeeded -- in earning a Tour Card at Q-School last January.
"I didn't live above my means before this," he said. "It's nice to have it in the bank, but I just go up there and throw darts. And the money is a massive bonus. It's all the accolades after that. I want that trophy now."
Asked if he now has enough money to buy the Chinese restaurant he has said he's long dreamed of opening, Hood replied: "I think we're there. I don't think I have a choice now. I think we're there now."
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Hood admitted his remarkable run comes as little surprise to him as he has always believed he has the ability, it's just the application that has been missing before now.
"I've been very lazy this year," he said. "I've done what I've always done. Half-an-hour practice a day and then turn up to the ProTours and play. Last six weeks, I put a lot of time in on the board four or five hours a day and it's paying off. So next year, I'll be doing it every day. Watch out"
Hood will face either three-time champion Michael van Gerwen or two-time champion Gary Anderson in the quarterfinals.
"I don't worry about anyone," Hood said. "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."