Australian darts wizard Simon Whitlock has booked a spot in the World Matchplay quarter-finals with an incredible comeback victory in England.
The world No.4 was 4-0 down in his second-round clash with Premier League Darts champion Raymond van Barneveld, but worked his magic to win 13-8 on Tuesday.
Van Barnevald began the game with a new set of darts, which Whitlock admitted "messed" with his head early on.
"But when it came to the crunch and the pressure darts, it didn't work for him," the man dubbed `The Wizard' said.
He next faces 2007 champion James Wade at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
"I'm really happy to be through but I know I'll need to improve on that performance to beat James Wade," Whitlock said.
"I've been very confident lately but James is a great player and I will need to be somewhere close to a 100 average to beat him, finishing well and outscoring him.
"We've had so many battles over the last four or five years and I know what I've got to do to beat him."
Wade has reached the last eight of the tournament nine years in a row and issued a sound warning to Whitlock ahead of their match-up.
"I'm getting back to my best and I'm enjoying my darts again," he said.
"I'm not saying I'm going to win the tournament, but I'll have a good go."
