Somerset slinger Justin Hood is no longer dreaming – he’s wide awake, eyes gleaming, penning a fairytale that refuses to respect reputations or rankings. A spell-binding, straight-sets dismantling of the much-fancied Josh Rock sent shockwaves through Alexandra Palace, and even that brutal 4–0 scoreline barely scratches the surface of what unfolded.
First blood belonged to the Glastonbury man, pinching the fifth and deciding leg to strike early. Convention demanded a Rock response. The script said the World Cup winner would thunder back. Instead, the same chapter replayed itself.
Hood doubled his advantage and did so with a level of surgical precision that bordered on the absurd – six darts at double, six conversions. Dead-eyed. Unflinching. Channelling the spirit of his legendary Nottingham ancestor, Robin of Sherwood, demonstrating absurd accuracy.
If alarm bells weren’t ringing in the Northern Irish corner by then, they soon became deafening. Happy Feet extended the lead, the outer ring still his personal playground, perfection intact. Moments later, Hood stood on the cusp of euphoria – two legs clear, flawless on the doubles. Then, a gasp. A miss. Then another. And another. Rock pounced. Was this the ignition of a seismic comeback?
Nope.Hood slammed the door shut with a majestic 119 checkout, a thunderclap that reverberated far beyond the Palace walls. It wasn’t the result that stunned the darting world – some dared to fancy the Somerset man – it was the manner. A whitewash. Ruthless. Unforgiving.
The Ally Pally has a new folk hero. Next comes the acid test. To reach the semi-final, Hood must face royalty. It will be Michael van Gerwen or Gary Anderson. Legends both. Fairytale meets folklore.
Elsewhere, Welsh wizard Jonny Clayton survived a genuine Viking skirmish to subdue Andreas Harrysson, booking a quarter-final rendezvous with Ryan Searle. Qualifier versus major champion. On paper, a procession. In reality, a bruising war of attrition.
Dirty Harry hurled everything he had at The Ferret, and for a while, history hovered tantalisingly close. Four sets in, honours even. Then came the pivotal fifth. Harrysson surged 2–0 ahead and suddenly stood one leg from a monumental national moment. But when the chances came, they evaporated. Clayton seized the opening, clawed his way back, and stole the set to lead 3–2.
The final act went the distance too, but this time Clayton made the throw count, closing out victory and not only booking his passage but leapfrogging Stephen Bunting into fourth on the world rankings. Scars avoided. Battle won.
The skies also parted for the Polish Eagle. Krzysztof Ratajski soared into a second career World Championship quarter-final after a commanding display against Luke Woodhouse. Once more, the Warsaw warrior edges toward uncharted territory for Polish darts.The match itself was deliciously perverse. Four opening sets, all won against the throw.
During the chaos, Woodhouse flirted with immortality, narrowly missing the tournament’s first nine-darter as D12 cruelly refused to cooperate. The pattern persisted, Ratajski reclaiming the lead before – finally – someone held throw and claimed a quarter-final seat.
Now comes the mountain. Ratajski turns 49 on New Year’s Day. Waiting for him is the reigning World Champion, Luke Littler. The Pole is unlikely to receive a birthday present from the throne. But topple the teenage monarch, and Krzysztof Ratajski won’t just celebrate a birthday – he’ll unwrap the ultimate gift.
TUESDAY 30th DECEMBER – Afternoon Session Report
Round Four
Krzysztof Ratajski 4-2 Luke Woodhouse
Jonny Clayton 4-2 Andreas Harrysson
Josh Rock 0-4 Justin Hood
—–Ends—–
Images: PDC
