Matthew Stevens, twice runner-up at the Crucible but ranked 26th at the start of the season, arrived at Newport for the Welsh Open with a provisional ranking of 20th and needing, he felt, "only one good week" to regain a top-16 place.
That prospect gathered momentum with a 5-4 win over the world No3, Shaun Murphy, claiming the decider from 0-51 with a 75 clearance.
Another Welshman, Dominic Dale, recovered from 3-0 and 4-1 down to Stephen Maguire to level at 4-4 but missed the match-ball brown in the decider as the world No2 scrambled home on the final black.
Ronnie O'Sullivan, playing his first match since losing the Masters final to Mark Selby from three up with four to play, coasted into the last 16 with a 5-1 win over Stuart Bingham.
Jimmy White, Alex Higgins, Cliff Thorburn and John Parrott are to make nostalgic returns to the Crucible on 8 April for the opening night, already sold out, of an 18-venue Legends tour. It had been believed that the world championship was the only snooker event which, contractually, could be staged at the Crucible but it has emerged that this restriction applies only to tournaments, not exhibitions.