Ken Doherty has narrowly avoided an early exit at the Welsh Open, fighting back from 0-3 and 2-4 down to beat Nottingham’s Michael Holt 5-4.
Doherty, who won the Malta Cup last month, his first ranking title in five years, thought he had blown it when Holt potted the last red in the deciding frame.
But the world number 24, who is renowned for his shaky temperament, missed the black off its spot and, with Doherty needing just a simple yellow for the match, conceded.
"Michael had the balls at his mercy," Doherty admitted. "I think I must have used up all my get out of jail free cards now."
Robert Milkins, a semi-finalist in last season’s Irish Masters, clinched a third round meeting with Ian McCulloch by edging world number 12 Alan McManus 5-4.
Meanwhile, Ryan Day made short work of an out-of-sorts Jimmy White to blast into the third round.
The Welshman celebrated St David’s Day with a 5-0 trouncing of White, who has not won a match since last October.
Day, a quarter-finalist at Newport last year, fired in breaks of 90, 135, 84 and 73 to complete the whitewash in only 82 minutes.
White seemed to fall apart after failing to win the second frame despite a break of 54. He failed to make contact with the last red, left a free ball and Day cleared up before coasting to victory.
Day, 25, was on the same Young Player of Distinction programme as Shaun Murphy, now world champion, and Stephen Maguire, the 2004 UK champion, in 2000.