James Wade sneaked into the quarter-finals of the Stan James World Matchplay with a 16-14 tie-break win against Dennis Priestley at the Winter Gardens.
The 30-leg epic contest swung back and forth between the two, with Priestley missing one dart at double top for a 13-11 win and Wade off-target 11 times for victory before finally landing double ten to progress.
Wade had reached the final of the tournament 12 months ago with a brilliant series of displays, and remains on course to emulate that feat after reaching the last eight.
Dennis took out 120 to win the game's opeining leg, but Wade responded well to take leads of 4-2 and 5-3 with some clinical finishing on double top.
The veteran Yorkshireman took three successive legs to sneak his nose in front, only for Wade for find another gear and move into a 9-7 advantage, including a fantastic 135 finish of bull, treble 15 and double top.
Wade held his nerve to move into an 11-9 lead, within two of the match, before Dennis landed double 20 to halve the deficit, take out 121 on double 14 to level and then hit tops again to return to the lead.
He also gave himself a dart for the match in the 24th leg, only to see his effort land on the wire of double top.
Wade took out a pressure double four and then moved 13-12 up with Dennis sat on a finish in the next leg.
The tension got to both men in the 26th, with Wade missing six darts at double top for the win and another at double 16 before Dennis double one levelled matters.
Wade hit back with a 13-darter against the throw, before stumbling again at the finishing line with a miss at double ten and three at double five.
Dennis again mopped up, but Wade sneaked back in front at 15-14 and then finally landed the winner on double ten.
"I can't explain what happened!" said Wade. "Every single time I threw a dart for the match it came out perfect but wasn't even close!
"It must have been the pressure but didn't feel pressure, the dart was coming out of my hand well and straight, but not going in.
"I was trying to push to get to the last leg but every time I pushed it wouldn't go in.
"It's hard to get into a ryhthm against Dennis. He's got all the experience in the world and his style is his own, but it's tough playing against him."
