Three-time winner Ding Junhui held off a fightback from Scotland's Scott Donaldson to set up a quarter-final showdown with defending champion Judd Trump at the UK Championship.
Ding, who is also a two-time runner-up at the event, looked set to cruise through after a break of 114 helped him take a 3-0 lead at York Barbican.
But world number 52 Donaldson responded impressively with a knock of 118 and then battled back from 5-3 down to force a final frame.
The 31-year-old led by 22 points in the decider before Ding produced a superb long pot to launch a match-winning break of 109.
Reigning world champion Zhao Xintong was beaten 6-2 by fellow Chinese player Zhang Anda.
