Phil Taylor came from 9-5 down to beat Andy Hamilton and book his place in the semi-finals of the Players Championships Finals in Minehead.
The two-time winner of the event looked set to suffer his first televised defeat to his fellow-Stoke thrower as Hamilton moved 7-3 and 9-5 ahead.
But that final leg proved beyond him as Taylor clawed his way back to pinch it 10-9, finishing on 109 to level the match before a superb 14-darter closed it out.
"I was dead and buried and I just wanted to give the fans a show but then I started to peg Andy back and he gave me a glimmer of hope," said Taylor, who next faces Simon Whitlock later on Sunday.
Whitlock had to withstand a fightback from Scotland's Gary Anderson, stretching ahead 4-0 and 6-1 before Anderson hit back, only to eventually submit 10-8.
The second semi-final will feature two players who have reached the last four of a televised major for the first time - Kim Huybrechts and Justin Pipe.
The former averaged over 104 in a 10-6 victory over Peter Wright, while Pipe overcame former finalist Mervyn King 10-7.
