Stuart Bingham brilliantly held his nerve to beat Judd Trump and complete a fairytale run to the final of the World Championship, where he will play Shaun Murphy.
The 38-year-old saw off Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quarter-finals and followed that by demolishing stunned Trump's title hopes with a 17-16 triumph, to set up a shot at Murphy over Sunday and Monday.
It seemed the Basildon man was in trouble when Trump rifled in breaks of 108 and 129 to come from 16-14 behind and force the deciding frame.
But if he was feeling the tension, it did not show in the audacious plant that set him on a victory march, Bingham taking on a shot so risky that had he missed it the match would have surely swayed Trump's way.
Trump looked crestfallen, but once Bingham was over the winning line the Bristolian stepped up to shake his conqueror's hand and offer warm congratulations.
Trump felt he had a ruinous kick on a red he missed in the final frame, and said: "It's tough to take really. I needed one good chance. If I'd missed the pot normally then fair play but the kick threw it off line.
"I'd worked my way back into the game and to lose it by no fault of your own ... it's so unlucky to have a kick at that time. In the end I lost it to a plant so I didn't do anything wrong there either.
"I felt very confident and was relaxed in that last frame. I feel it's been a little bit taken away from me."
Trump praised Bingham, saying: "He played really well throughout the whole game." Asked if Bingham could beat Murphy, Trump said: "Not if he plays like that. If the crowd can spur him on, he's obviously got a chance but Shaun is going to be favourite."
Murphy, who saw off Barry Hawkins 17-9 earlier on Sunday, admitted winning the World Championship for a second time would trump his maiden Crucible title back in 2005.
"It's unbelievable. Aside from winning the World Championship or the Masters, let's say, getting to the final is the best feeling in snooker," Murphy said after securing his victory on Saturday.
"To have the opportunity to get your name on the trophy and even touch it, be in the same room as it, is hallowed turf for snooker players. It might not look like it but I'm buzzing.
"You realise the next time you walk into that arena it'll be for real and you're going to go head to head with another great player for that trophy. We've got to block it out and play some good snooker."
Having led 16-8 overnight and needing only one frame for victory, Murphy did not have to wait long when his semi-final with Hawkins resumed on Saturday.
Hawkins took the opening frame with a 103, the eighth century break of the match which equalled the Crucible record, but missed a crucial black in the next frame. Murphy stepped and sealed victory with an 83 visit.
Murphy's triumph will see him vie for a second world title in three finals, having lost out to John Higgins in 2009.
"I didn't really take part in the 2009 final against John," Murphy added. "So to have another crack at it is what I've been dreaming of since then. It'll mean more than the first time if I win it again and I'll be putting absolutely everything I've got into this match."
Murphy completed snooker's career 'Triple Crown' by landing the Masters title in January. That followed his previous Crucible and UK Championship victories, and he also reached the German Masters final in February.
Hawkins said of his opponent: "I started off too slow in that match. But I won't take anything away from Shaun - he was phenomenal in the first few sessions.
"He was clearing up from not easy positions. Definitely the better player won in that match. It's going take a special performance to beat Shaun. He's cueing so well and there's not a safe place on the table."