JAMES WADE silenced a sold-out Vienna crowd with a 6-3 win over Austrian number one Mensur Suljovic in round two of the bwin World Series of Darts Finals.
Newly-crowned European Champion Wade progressed to the final day of action at the Multiversum thanks to some trademark finishing under pressure to continue his good form.
Wade, who dedicated last week's triumph to new-born son Arthur, will now take on Jamie Lewis in Sunday afternoon's quarter-finals as he looks to rack up back-to-back televised titles.
"Tonight was another step in the right direction," said Wade, who won his first televised ranking title in seven years in Dortmund last weekend.
"I think I deserved to win that game with a few thousand people against me but I'm also very aware that Mensur didn't play his best game tonight and missed a few doubles.
"Last weekend I proved that I can still do it and once you get on the right path everything becomes a bit easier both in darts and in life in general, hopefully I can continue on an upward curve now."
Top performer from round one Lewis continued his impressive run by knocking out World Champion Rob Cross with a 6-5 victory.
Lewis trailed 5-4 to the Brisbane Darts Master but rallied to keep his hopes alive with a strong final two legs.
Lewis' fellow-Welshman Gerwyn Price sent number one seed Peter Wright crashing out with a 6-1 rout of the Melbourne Masters winner and he will now meet Australian number one Simon Whitlock.
World Series Finals ever-present Whitlock survived seven match-darts to defeat Daryl Gurney for the first time in nine attempts, and a very first time on TV.
Whitlock trailed 5-3 to the Northern Irishman, but found a way to win 6-3 and avenge his 2017 World Grand final defeat.
"I'm so happy to finally beat Daryl on TV, I've waited a long time for this moment," said Whitlock.
"I was nervous in the last leg but I managed to hold it all together and take out the winning double, that was a really great feeling."
Auckland Darts Master Michael van Gerwen continued his quest for a fourth consecutive World Series Finals title with a 6-0 whitewash of Australia's Damon Heta to set up a mouth-watering tie with his World Cup partner Raymond van Barneveld.
Van Barneveld survived a scare against Australian ProTour Order of Merit leader Raymond Smith, clawing his way back from 5-4 down to win 6-5.
Dave Chisnall also won a last-leg decider, fighting his way back from 5-3 down and surviving four match-darts before taking his chance to defeat US Masters winner Gary Anderson.
Chisnall will now take on Michael Smith in an all-St Helens clash after Shanghai Masters champion Smith threw a 104 average in his 6-3 win over Austrlia's Kyle Anderson in the first televised clash between the pair.
Tonight's winners will now compete in Sunday's third and final day of action, where one player will walk away with the trophy and the £50,000 top prize.
The bwin World Series of Darts Finals will be broadcast live on ITV4 and through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners, as well as through PDCTV-HD for Rest of the World Subscribers.
2018 bwin World Series of Darts Finals
Schedule of Play
Saturday November 3 (2000 Local Time 1900 UK Time)
Second Round x8
Michael Smith 6-3 Kyle Anderson
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Raymond Smith
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Gary Anderson
Gerwyn Price 6-1 Peter Wright
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Jamie Lewis 6-5 Rob Cross
James Wade 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Damon Heta
Sunday November 4
Afternoon Session (1345 Local Time 1245 UK Time)
Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price v Simon Whitlock
Michael Smith v Dave Chisnall
Jamie Lewis v James Wade
Raymond van Barneveld v Michael van Gerwen
Evening Session (2000 Local Time 1900 UK Time)
Semi-Finals
Price/Whitlock v Smith/Chisnall
Lewis/Wade v Van Barneveld/Van Gerwen
Final