Nicholson held the upper hand for most of the match but fell 7-6 down to the Stoke youngster, before producing three superb legs to secure victory.

Lewis, for the third successive game, hit a maximum with his first three darts, but wasted five chances to win the opening leg, which Nicholson pinched by hitting double top at the first time of asking.

Nicholson hit a 101 checkout in the second, despite another 180 from Lewis, but the Stoke youngster won the next with a 104 finish.

Nicholson moved 3-1 ahead with by hitting double two with his last dart, but missed an opportunity move three legs clear and Lewis landed double 16 to win it.

Nicholson, who has beaten Dennis Priestley and Steve Beaton on his way to the quarter-finals, hit a 106 checkout to win the sixth leg before Lewis won the next by hitting double 16 to keep the gap to just one leg.

A 15-dart-finish put Nicholson 5-3 ahead, but Lewis fired in a 124 checkout to win the ninth leg then took the tenth by converting a 64 finish to level the match.

Nicholson broke throw with a 13-darter to win the 11th leg, but Lewis immediately hit back by hitting double top to level at 6-6.

A tight 13th leg saw both players miss a chance to win it before Lewis was successful with a dart at double ten to move 7-6 up and lead the match for the first time.

But Nicholson hit double six in the next leg to level and then took out a 13-dart-finish to break throw and go within touching distance of victory.

Nicholson forged ahead in the 16th leg despite an eighth maximum of the match from his opponent, and he landed double eight with his third dart to end Lewis' hopes.

"As far as guts and sticking in there goes, that's the number one win of my career," said Nicholson. "Adrian out-scored me but I hit some key doubles and some big finishes early on which were important for me."

Lewis admitted: "I started too slowly and that cost me in the end. I played my game in reverse because I played better later in the game, but I had too much to do."