James Wade came through a major scare for the second successive game to come from three sets down to defeat Andy Smith 4-3 in the last 32 of the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship.
Wade fell three sets down and survived two missed match darts from his opponent in the fourth leg of the deciding set, before coming through 4-2 in the tie-break last night.
“At 3-0 down I just to myself to try and make a game of it, and somehow I’ve managed to come back and win,” said Wade, who now plays either Justin Pipe or Devon Petersen.
“I always show fight because I’m stubborn. I should have lost the game but after he missed the shot to beat me I didn’t look back.
“In the first game I was very lucky but tonight I believe I was unlucky to be 3-0 down. Some of my darts were so close to going in and being great scores or great finishes. When I was 3-1 down I could have been two-all quite easily.”
The first two legs of the match were shared before Wade broke throw with a fine 13-darter, only for Smith to hit back to win the fourth leg in 12 darts.
The set’s deciding leg saw Smith miss two chances to win the set, only for Wade to miss two attempts at double 12 for a 1-0 lead, to allow his opponent to return and hit double four.
Wade won the first leg of the second with an excellent 103 finish, only for Smith to hit back and win the next three legs to take the set, with that run featuring a fantastic 161 checkout to break throw.
Smith held a 2-1 advantage in set three before Wade drew level on double ten, only to agonisingly miss the same double in the decider for a 128 checkout, allowing the Studley ace a shot at double 12 for a 3-0 lead, which he duly converted.
Wade dropped the opening leg of the fourth set but won the next three, hitting a 13-darter in the third leg, before sealing the set with a 68 finish to hit back.
The three-time semi-finalist broke throw at the start of the fifth by hitting double 18, but failed to convert that advantage as Smith finished a 15-darter to level.
Wade edged ahead once again by taking out a 78 finish to win the third leg, before closing out the set in the next.
The first two legs of the sixth set were shared before Wade hit double 11 to edge ahead after Smith missed double eight for a 96 finish.
Wade missed double top to win the set in the next, allowing Smith to edge the leg on the same double, before the world number six won the deciding leg to force a seventh set.
Smith moved 2-1 up in the decider as he moved a leg away from victory for a second time, but two attempts to win the match on double 16 went begging, and Wade hit double top to stay in the game.
After avoiding that narrow escape, Wade then landed checkouts of 122 and 100 – completed with two double tops – to secure his place in the third round.