John Higgins defied some shocking misses and a Judd Trump fightback to reach the Players Championship final after a tense deciding frame.
Higgins produced a match-winning 65 break but only after almost letting a commanding position slip, and was in the end fortunate that Trump missed a vital red when cueing awkwardly.
Thereafter the Scot held his nerve impressively to pick apart the table and reach the final, five years on from his victory in the event. There, he will face either Mark Allen or Zhao Xintong.
It had seemed set to be a comfortable afternoon for Higgins, who was 3-0 up and in full control, before missing a relatively simple pink to sweep the opening mini-session.
From 3-1 down Trump could only share the next four frames to trail 5-3, but after a half-century to get within one he was stunned to be handed the following frame, when Higgins missed the simplest of match balls.
Higgins was in first in the deciding frame but everything appeared to be going against him when a red ricocheted in while potting the blue, handing Trump a golden opportunity to complete the fightback and continue his dominance over him.
And it looked as though he would do that until, bridging over another red, he missed what was still a regulation pot, leaving Higgins among the balls but with his nerve put to the test once more.
This time, Higgins passed, potting a thin pink off the final red and clearing the colours before breathing a huge sigh of relief and consigning Trump to his eighth final-frame defeat in as many matches this season.
"I was thinking about Mark Williams, that's what Mark done, Mark just dollied the winning ball," said Higgins.
"I was down on the pink and thinking just don't dolly it in, because if Judd comes back and gets a couple of snookers you'll be kicking yourself.
"I hadn't actually settled myself down, and I don't know what happened. I'm suffering a bit for the yips as well, there's certain shots I don't feel comfortable playing.
"I cannot believe Judd (missed)."
Asked how he gathered himself for the final break, he added: "You just go into auto-pilot, don't you?
"You're not thinking about missing. If I was left with that same break 5-3 in front, I would've probably missed.
"It wasn't nerves, it was just adrenaline at the end."