Alex Noren produced a brilliant finish to beat Tony Finau one up and move into the knockout phases at the WGC - Dell Technologies Match Play.
Both men entered the final Group 13 match at Austin Country Club with perfect records and both led in a nip-and-tuck contest that saw Noren go one up on the 17th with a turning putt from eight feet.
A poor tee-shot on the last left it looking like a play-off but the Swede got up and down, once again showing nerves of steel when holing from 15 feet, to advance.
He will next face Patrick Reed, who beat Ryder Cup team-mate Jordan Spieth 2 and 1 in the most highly-anticipated match of the day in Group 4.
Tyrrell Hatton entered Friday unbeaten but went down 3 and 2 against Charley Hoffman to leave him needing to win a play-off against Brendan Steele to win Group 13 and set up a clash with Cameron Smith.
Noren and Finau halved their first five holes in par but the nine-time European Tour winner hit his approach to the par five sixth to five feet to lead and a Finau bogey on the eighth left him two up at the turn.
Finau then found his feet, birdieing the tenth, drawing level thanks to a Noren bogey at the next and using his power to eagle the 12th but he dropped a shot at the 14th to help set up Noren's big finish.
Noren knows he will have to be at the top of his game against Ryder Cup star Reed on Saturday.
He said: "Playing Patrick tomorrow is obviously going to be a tough match.
"I know a lot of people might look at that as some sort of Ryder Cup rehearsal but I can't.
"The Ryder Cup is a long, long way away and I have to go out tomorrow and try to play well and keep making putts because Patrick is a great player and a tough guy to beat so I will need to play really well to beat him."
I know a lot of people might look at that as some sort of Ryder Cup rehearsal but I can't - Alex Noren
In the dead rubber in Group 13, Thomas Pieters and Kevin Na shared a half.
Hatton made 15 straight pars in his match against Hoffman and while one of those was enough to win the fourth, the American birdied the fifth, sixth, tenth and 11th before both men birdie the 16th.
Steele had beaten Alexander Levy 3 and 1 to force extra holes but Hatton bombed his drive 335 yards down the first to leave a flick-in wedge and set up a winning birdie.
"I was pretty frustrated," he said. "But I didn't have much time after that match finished to go out in the play-off. I knew I needed to regroup and I had ten minutes to smash a few drivers and get ready.
"I felt like I dealt with it pretty well and it was nice to hit a couple of good shots."
Spieth and Reed did not create the expected quality early in their game - with Spieth finding hazards on the first and second to send Reed two up - and the duo traded the fifth and eighth before Spieth hit irons to tap-in range on the ninth and tenth to move level..
Reed then won the 11th, 13th and 15th and while Spieth kept the match alive on the next, an excellent putt from the fringe on the 17th ended the contest.
Charl Schwartzel also beat Li Haotong 3 and 2 in Group 4.
Australian PGA Championship winner Smith halved his match against Yusaku Miyazato, while Patrick Cantlay beat Hideki Matsuyama 4 and 3 in the other Group 5 match.
