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Former UK champion Matthew Stevens edged past Dechawat Poomjaeng to reach the third round of the World Championship qualifiers.
The Welshman survived a late fightback from Thailand’s Poomjaeng to win 10-8 in Sheffield.
Stevens, 45, had a 7-3 lead after taking the first frame of the evening session before Poomjaeng produced a strong comeback to make it 9-8.
But Stevens held his nerve with two snookers in the 18th frame to win.
Two-time World finalist Stevens will play fellow Welshman Jamie Clarke in the next round.
“I’m laughing one minute and nearly crying the next. It was such a long day,” said Stevens.
“It was looking like 9-9 and if I’d lost that it would have been a tough one to take. I’ve got loads of scars from games like that though, so I would have been all right.”
There was more Welsh success as Jackson Page comfortably beat Scotland’s Ross Muir 10-2.
Page, 21, will play England’s Martin Gould in the third round.
Andrew Higginson beat Louis Heathcote 10-7, and Sanderson Lam beat Mitchell Mann 10-5 to set up a meeting with Joe Perry.
This year’s World Championship takes place from 15 April-1 May at the Crucible in Sheffield.
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