Michael Smith fended off a spirited challenge from Mervyn King to secure a 4-3 second-round win at the World Darts Championship on Friday.
An encapsulating to-and-fro struggle eventually fell the way of the No 11 seed Smith, who had previously missed nine match darts, threatening to allow King to pinch the result.
Smith appeared comfortable with a 3-1 lead but four darts to claim an early win went astray before King reduced the deficit.
An 11-dart leg from Smith was matched by a brilliant 130 checkout by King in a chaotic next set, which eventually swung King's way to force a decider.
Amid a flurry of errant arrows with both players desperate to save face, Smith nicked the decisive break to progress into the third round.
Benito van de Pas, in identical circumstances to Smith's win, held off Terry Jenkins' fightback to win 4-3.
Van de Pas, the 15th seed, missed just one match dart before finally sealing the deal but, for long periods, looked certain to squander his 3-1 lead.
Jenkins strung six legs together to tie the score at 3-3 until, in the decider, Van de Pas nailed a 110 check-out against the throw that carried him into the next round.
Ian White, the 14th seed, earlier made short work of Jonny Clayton in a comprehensive 4-1 victory.
Former quarter-finalist White stormed into a three-set lead before suffering a brief blip.
Clayton made it 3-1 then won the first two legs of the fifth set, but White strung together three legs in a row to finalise the result.