Raymond Van Barneveld edged out Ronnie Baxter 4-3 in a sudden-death thriller to reach the last eight of Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Van Barneveld heads a list of three Dutch players in the quarter-finals after earlier wins for Co Stompe and Jelle Klaasen in Tuesday's third-round games.
Baxter missed one dart at bullseye for victory in the final set before missing two more at double eight in the sudden-death leg, before double top put van Barneveld through.
‘Ronnie was superb but it's all about doubles,’ said Van Barneveld. ‘I'm a very lucky man and maybe Ronnie deserved to win, but I got the final double.’
Van Barneveld will meet Klaasen in the next round.
‘I'm looking forward to playing Jelle,’ said Van Barneveld. ‘I've never beaten him on TV and it will be a very hard game.’
Klaasen continued his impressive run with a 4-1 victory over Andy Hamilton.
Wayne Mardle's hopes of glory were shattered in a straight sets defeat to Stompe.
The world number seven Mardle, a five-time World Championship semi-finalist, failed to rekindle the form which saw him defeat Robert Thornton in round two.
Stompe, who has already defeated Andy Jenkins and Alan Tabern on his Alexandra Palace debut, will now take Phil Taylor on New Year's Day - in a repeat of the German Championship final which he won a month ago.
Stompe said: ‘The crowd expected him to beat me, especially after the way he beat Robert Thornton, I think the pressure got to him.
‘I had to go out, win the first set and shut the crowd up. You don't want to play two players - one is hard enough.’
Australian number one Paul Nicholson booked a quarter-final spot with a 4-2 comeback win over Dennis Priestley.
He had been two sets down to the two-time world champion before battling back to set up a last eight meeting with James Wade, who defeated Vincent van der Voort 4-0.
Nicholson warned: ‘I have had one goal, to make the semi-finals... I am going to be more aggressive than ever.
‘I am going to be dangerous, and I get to play at night-time which means I can practice more before my game, which is even better for me.’
In the day's other game, Mervyn King swept past Dennis Smith 4-1 to set up a quarter-final against Barrie Bates on Thursday.
