James Wade is out of the PDC World Darts Championship after Steve Beaton rolled back the years to progress to the fourth round.
The 55-year-old, nicknamed the 'Bronzed Adonis', put in an excellent display to win their third-round encounter 4 sets to 2, and send world number eight Wade out of the tournament.
James Wade crashes out
BEATON WINS!!!!!
JAMES WADE IS OUT!!
What a win for Steve Beaton who beats James Wade 4-2 to reach the Fourth Round.#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/xg2gnx4RNR— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 22, 2019
Beaton, who won the BDO World title in 1996, raced into a two-sets-to-nil lead at Alexandra Palace.
Wade, to his credit, responded with the pressure on in the third set. With the set locked at two legs apiece, Beaton missed a double-20 to go three-nil up - Wade made no mistake with the same double to win the set and halt Beaton's momentum.
Wade won the next to bring the deficit back to 3-2, but Beaton stayed cool in what proved to be the game's final set to clinch a 4-2 win and book his place in the fourth round.
'I kept letting him back in,' Beaton said after the match.
'You don't get many chances against James, but I'm glad I won.
'I enjoy every one [of the world championships] and it gets harder all the time but that's the whole point of the game.
'Tonight, it was poignant I had to play James, I'll never forget the 2013 one when I blew the 122 and I thought I was going to blow it again tonight. This is the first Christmas I can have at home, and enjoy!'
'Just take every game as it comes. But honestly, it's absolutely brilliant, I absolutely love it.'
Beaton will play Darius Labanauskas in the next round.
Earlier today, Stephen Bunting and Nathan Aspinall also booked their place in the fourth round.
Last night, Fallon Sherrock continued her dream debut in the tournament as she knocked out world number eleven Mensur Suljovic to reach the fourth round.
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