Mark Selby made it a hat-trick of UK Championship titles with a dramatic 10-8 victory over Judd Trump in Sunday's final at the Barbican Centre in York.
It was the second time the pair had met in a major final this season and, just as was the case at the Champion of Champions last month, it was Selby who got the better of the argument, but only just after a terrific rearguard from the defending champion.
Trump rallied bravely from 7-2 down to close the gap to 9-8, raising hopes of a spectacular comeback triumph, only for Selby to somehow haul himself over the winning line for the first time in York since 2016.
The match looked all over when he had the final few reds at his mercy to win 10-7, but an inexplicable miss handed Trump a lifeline and he duly did the rest to keep his title defence alive.
And what proved to be the final act, frame 18, would be no easier for Selby, a protracted safety battle setting the stage for a fight till the death with all but the black and yellow sent to uncompromising positions.
Selby, however, was in no mood to offer Trump another Christmas gift, summoning one final effort to put together a frame and match-winning break of 69 which, while smaller in number than so many he has compiled this week, was surely his best given the state of the table and the context of the moment.
A relieved Selby told the BBC afterwards: "Amazing. To win another Triple Crown event, as Judd said, they're not easy to win. As you can tell, it took me nine years to get back here!
"Judd said he didn't play great, but he just put me under pressure. Even from 5-0, if he pinches the frame at the interval to go 5-3, then it's a totally different game.
"I was a bit all over the place towards the end, especially the frame at 9-7. I don't know how I made the break in the last frame.
"It's great to win again in York. I love the city, love the venue and crowd has been fantastic all week.
"The other tournaments are great, but I think you're judged by these Triple Crown events."
Things couldn't have started much better for Selby who tied Trump in knots to win the opening two frames, the first from 50 points behind, before repeating the dose in frame four when clearing with 70 to win the frame on the black.
A century to follow earlier runs of 77, 51, 97 and 70 saw Selby extend his lead to 5-0 and, though Trump managed to win the next two frames, Selby ended the afternoon with a break of 66 and then began the evening session with 59 to lead 7-2.
The Trump fightback began when he won the next three frames to reduce his arrears to 7-5, though Selby's 91 in frame 13 gave him some breathing space, which he was grateful for when Trump's second century in three frames got him back within two.
And when Selby missed two blacks off the spot to allow Trump to close to only 8-7 behind, the Jester suddenly cut an uncomfortable figure his chair – a far cry from just a couple of hours earlier.
And though Selby won the next to push towards victory, there was more drama to come, a rare twitch from one of the sport's toughest nuts fraying the nerves even further until he finally finished the job, the valiant Trump having to be carried out on his sword at the end of a remarkable final.
