John Higgins survived a brilliant fightback from Ronnie O'Sullivan to book his place in the final of the Pukka Pies UK Championship tonight.
Higgins led 8-2 after the first two frames of the evening session and needed just one more to secure a Sunday showdown with China's Ding Junhui.
However, O'Sullivan hit back to win the next six frames and force a decider at the International Centre in Telford.
O'Sullivan had all the momentum on his side but Higgins dug deep to win the final frame and seal a nerve-wracking 9-8 win.
'He started playing the way Ronnie can play and there is nothing more frightening than Ronnie coming back at you in full flow,' Higgins admitted on BBC2.
'You can't ever take liberties. At 8-2 up against anyone else you might think about an early finish but not against Ronnie.'
The match started in cagey fashion with an intriguing safety battle in the opening frame. Higgins eventually drew first blood after sinking a tricky final red.
The second was a similar story, Higgins - who was practising until late last night to bed in a new tip on his cue - capitalising on a loose safety to go 2-0 up.
Neither player managed a break over 40 in the first two frames, but four-time UK champion O'Sullivan put that right in the third with a rapid 116 to halve the deficit.
Not to be outdone, Higgins responded in kind with a knock of 83 to re-establish his two-frame cushion at the mid-session interval.
O'Sullivan looked set to pull back again when he moved 38 ahead with 35 remaining in the fifth, but his failure to escape from two snookers allowed Higgins back in to calmly mop up and go 4-1 ahead.
The world number one was again consigned to his seat for much of the next frame, forced to look on as Higgins cleaned up with a break of 127.
O'Sullivan had half a chance to get back in it in the seventh but could only manage 28 and once again Higgins, seeking a third UK crown, took advantage to establish a 6-1 cushion.
A breezy 110 in the final frame of the afternoon reduced the arrears slightly but O'Sullivan headed into the evening session with a mountain to climb.
That mountain looked insurmountable when Higgins took the first two frames of the evening session, the second with a break of 109, to move within touching distance of victory.
However, O'Sullivan had certainly not thrown in the towel as he has done in the past, two good breaks winning the 11th frame and a total clearance of 134 making it 8-4 at the mid-session interval.
Controversy and confusion reigned in the 13th frame after O'Sullivan snookered himself on the black.
After six unsuccessful attempts to escape, O'Sullivan then called a foul on himself after touching the black while bridging over it.
However, that was not deemed to be a miss like his escape attempts and a bemused Higgins was forced to play safe with the cue ball tight up against a red.
A poor shot let Sullivan in for a break of 49 and he eventually took the frame to reduce his deficit further.
'That rule has to be cleared up,' Higgins added.
'Ronnie didn't plan to touch the black with his hand but someone could do it on purpose. It was a difficult one for the referee because I don't think it's ever happened.'
Higgins was clearly rattled and his mood was not improved as O'Sullivan took the next two frames as well, and then fluked a red in the next to start a break of 57 which helped make it 8-8.
But the Scot held his nerve to get across the line after a memorable match.
