Michael van Gerwen has reached the second round of the World Championship but only after opponent Rene Eidams almost pulled off what would have been one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.
Van Gerwen - the 2014 champion and world number one - coasted into a 2-0 advantage by winning six legs in a row, before preliminary round qualifier Eidams produced an inspired spell of form that saw him win six of the next seven legs.
Before Friday night, Eidams had never played a televised match but he continued to go toe-to-toe with the Dutchman, taking the final set into a tie-break as a huge shock continued to materialise in front of a captivated Alexandra Palace crowd.
However, Van Gerwen composed himself to finish the match strongly, taking the next two legs to secure his place in the last 32.
Earlier, 12th seed Kim Huybrechts became the latest seed to bow out of the tournament after losing 3-2 to Shropshire thrower Dave Pallett.
Huybrechts looked in control of the contest at 2-1, but Pallett won six of the next seven legs to earn the biggest win of his career.
Brendan Dolan has also been eliminated after losing 3-0 to Kyle Anderson, who hit five maximums on his way to victory.
