Ding Junhui overtook Mark Williams 6:5 and in the last quarter decided to advance to the quarterfinals of the Masters tournament held at Alexandra Palace.
Although neither player was at their best during a piecemeal opening where the first two frames were split and the top break was 36, a fascinating contest ensued after the mid-session break.
After breaking scores of 57 and 70, two-time winner Wales Williams led 3-2 before the momentum once again swung towards their Chinese opponent, who enjoyed runs of 64 and 60.
In a thrilling encounter, Williams produced a sublime break of 136 to equalize and then hit the ninth frame after Ding had dropped 66 for a 5-4 lead.
However, the 2011 champion scored 76 to force an 11th over after a lucky run of balls and then sealed his victory with a brilliant break of 90.
Ding will now face either Judd Trump or Barry Hawkins in his final eight fights.
