Gian van Veen held his nerve to repel a fightback from James Wade and book his place in the World Matchplay semi-finals.
The Dutchman led an initially attritional affair 11-7, but saw Wade scrap his way back into it at 11-11 before finding his touch to see out a 16-13 victory at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, a mirror image of his defeat by the Englishman at the same stage 12 months ago.
After a patchy start, a 160 finish gave the world number three a 9-6 advantage and although he passed up an opportunity to take the next against the throw when he twice missed double 16, he did not make the same mistake twice to establish an 11-7 advantage.
- World Matchplay Darts 2026: How to watch today in UK, schedule, rules, prize money, results
Wade hit back immediately, taking three successive legs, the last of them with a 121 check-out, to close to within one before claiming a fourth to level at 11-11.
Van Veen arrested the slide and as the temperature rose, took out 118 to go 14-12 ahead before another 121 from Wade kept it tight.
However, it was there that Wade's challenge ended as his Dutch opponent powered across the line to secure a last-four showdown with Gerwyn Price.
The Welshman too had to survive a comeback from Ross Smith after establishing a 12-8 lead in style with a 10-darter.
To his credit, Smith took four successive legs to keep the match in the melting point, but it was then that Price turned the screw, reeling off the next four on the trot to secure his place in Saturday's semi-finals.