Colin Lloyd 4-3 Steve Beaton (3-0, 2-3, 3-0, 3-1, 1-3, 1-3, 3-1)
Sky Bet World Grand Prix Quarter-Finals
DEFENDING champion Colin Lloyd scraped into the semi-finals of the Sky Bet World Grand Prix with a 4-3 win over Steve Beaton.
Lloyd led 3-1 against the former World Champion, but suffered a wobble as Beaton stepped up his game and pulled back to level the match with seven of the next nine legs.
Beaton led 1-0 in the deciding set before Lloyd managed to regather himself and take three successive legs and finally wrap up the win with double one.
"That's honestly the best double one I've hit in my life," said Lloyd.
"When I was 3-1 up I thought the game was all over and that I would move to another gear and keep pushing but Steve dug in and pulled back to three-all.
"I felt I threw better darts tonight than in the first two rounds, but the scoreline doesn't show that."
Lloyd began the game in blistering form, taking the opening set without reply but lost the second 3-2, with Beaton hitting a 105 finish on his way to levelling matters.
The world number one took the next two sets to move within striking distance of victory, but wass punished for a string of missed doubles as Beaton hit back.
But Lloyd showed his champion qualities to bounce back into life and continue his quest for a second successive title.
"I don't think I'm feeling the pressure but subconsciously I think, as it was my first major tournament win, it's probably ticking in my head," said Lloyd.
"I felt pretty good tonight but I know I've got more left in the tank."
Beaton admitted that his run to the last eight for the second successive year was a confidence boost.
"I wasn't worried about playing Colin but he came out firing and my first set was atrocious," he said.
"It just shows how long I've been out of the game. Usually after that comeback I'd have buried him but I'm gutted, absolutely gutted.
"I have these lax periods - I took the darts off him and then gave them back.
"Colin has been on stage for a long time this year and that's where I'm lacking, I need to be up there with the pressure and crowd.
"The crowd tonight were phenomenal and I love it - they were getting behind me but I couldn't produce the goods at the end."