Outsider Graeme Dott showed few nerves in his first Embassy World Championship semi-final as he moved into an impressive 3-1 lead by the mid-session interval against Matthew Stevens at The Crucible Theatre.
The stakes were high for Dott who needed to upset the odds and overcome his Welsh opponent to retain his place in snooker's top 16 for another season.
Dott had smashed up his cue when he stopped at a motorway service station in January because of his frustration at a disastrous season.
But the 26-year-old Scot showed that Stevens, rated 4-1 on to reach his second world final, would not have an easy ride.
The opening frame of the best-of-33 marathon was a scrappy affair lasting 35 minutes with both players taking time to settle in.
Stevens, competing in his fourth world semi-final in the last five years, edged into a 42-27 lead but he missed the final yellow down the rail and Dott cleared the colours.
The second was more clear-cut with a half century giving Dott the early initiative and then Stevens seeing a red double back over the black pocket after he had tried to play safe.
Dott needed no second invitation and a clearance of 76 clinched matters with Stevens failing to pot a ball in the process.
Stevens had declared himself as "fresh as a daisy" going into the match after his series of first-round exits following his UK Championship triumph in December.
And he finally found some fluency in the third as runs of 40 and 36 enabled him to open his account as Dott conceded.
But Dott, who is guaranteed £63,200 by reaching the last four which would be the biggest pay day of his career, restored his two-frame advantage before the interval. His opening run of 61 proved decisive.
The winners of this clash will meet either Ronnie O'Sullivan or Stephen Hendry who will start their semi-final this evening.