Wes Newton hit a stunning nine-dart finish at the Betfair World Matchplay on Thursday night but it was not enough to prevent a 13-10 second-round defeat to Justin Pipe.
Phil Taylor, Andy Hamilton and Ronnie Baxter also progressed to the quarter-finals in Blackpool.
Fleetwood's Newton delighted a capacity crowd at the Winter Gardens by emulating Michael van Gerwen in achieving a perfect leg.
With the scores tied at 5-5 against Pipe, the world number five hit 180 and 177 to start the 11th leg of the game, and finished 144 on double 12 to land his first televised nine-dart finish.
Newton went on to move into a 10-8 lead, only for rising star Pipe to win five successive legs and win through to his first major quarter-final.
"To do the nine-darter on TV is fantastic," said Newton. "It was an amazing feeling and I'll never forget it.
"I'm really happy to have done it but at the moment it means nothing to me because I'm so disappointed I lost the game. I've got to take my hat off to Justin, he played really well and hung in there, and he did what he had to do."
Pipe, who has risen to 12th in the PDC Order of Merit after winning five ranking events in the past year, will now play Ronnie Baxter in his first televised quarter-final on Friday.
"I'm over the moon with that, I couldn't be happier," he said. "My target this year was to do better than last year, and I want to build slowly which I'm doing at the moment."
Baxter, the 1998 World Matchplay runner-up who hails from Blackpool, won through to his eighth quarter-final in 14 attempts in the event with a 13-8 defeat of Dean Winstanley.
The Yorkshireman hit nine 180s in a heavy-scoring match but was punished for landing only eight of 32 darts at a double, with Baxter's more clinical finishing - which included checkouts of 116 and 110 - seeing him through.
"It's great to be back in the quarter-finals," said Baxter. "At times I struggled to find the treble 20 but Dean made a few mistakes and let me back in, and overall it was good."
Reigning champion Taylor's bid to win a record-equalling fifth successive World Matchplay title, and a 13th since the event began in 1994, continued as he defeated Ian White 13-3 in an all-Stoke battle.
Despite the one-sided scoreline and a 170 checkout from the world number one, Taylor insisted afterwards that he must improve after recording his lowest average in the event for nine years after finishing at 91.71.
"It was a real struggle, a scrappy game," said Taylor, who now faces another all-Stoke battle against Hamilton on Friday night.
"I really like Ian and I couldn't get that aggressive streak in me. I know it will be a different kettle of fish in the quarter-finals and I'll have to be ready for Andy. He's more of a grinder and a determined player."
Taylor has been using a new set of darts in this week's tournament, but shrugged off any suggestions that the change in set-up had any part to play in his low average.
"It's not the darts, it's me," he said. "It's nothing to do with the darts and in practice I'm hitting nine-darters, but it's just me.
"There's only a fraction of a change in them but I'm going to persevere and I'll get there."
Hamilton won the night's other second-round game, sharing the first 12 legs against Welshman Mark Webster before pulling clear by taking seven in a row to storm to victory.
The Stoke ace also reached the same stage last year, where he came from 15-8 down to defeat Simon Whitlock, and he was delighted to be back in the latter stages.
"I think I showed a more professional approach to the game today and I competed well and did what I had to do," said Hamilton. "As the games get longer I'm playing better and I want to continue that on Friday.
"I can't wait for the quarter-finals now. I've got great memories of last year's quarter-finals but I'll have to be focused and ready."
Baxter and Pipe will kick off the quarter-finals in the afternoon session at 1pm on Friday, and will be followed by the clash between World Champion Adrian Lewis and two-time Blackpool finalist Terry Jenkins.
Taylor and Hamilton's meeting will open the evening session before 2007 champion James Wade takes on nine-dart hero Michael van Gerwen in the final match over the best of 31 legs.
