DARTS ace Jim Williams has reached the quarter finals of the BDO World Darts Championships for the first time after beating Conan Whitehead in a dramatic match this afternoon.

Williams, who hails from Shobdon and went to Wigmore High School, held his nerve to win 4-3 in sets after the match went into a tiebreak.

The Welshman will now face his best friend and reigning champion, Glen Durrant, in the last eight tomorrow.

"That was as nervous as I have ever been in my life," Williams told Channel 4 after his win.

"I've never played well here before until now and I tried to do anything I could."

Williams said he knows it will be a tough ask against Durrant.

"Glen is the best player this week and is the favourite," said Williams.

It looked like Whitehead was going to win the match after opening up a 2-0 leg advantage in the final set.

But Williams hit an unbelievable 161 checkout to stay in the match and he won the next two legs to force the tiebreak.

"Conan could have hit that but I did what I had to do," added Williams, who won the fifth set 4-2 in legs.

Williams started well and won the opening leg of the first set before Whitehead stormed back to win the next three.

But a break of throw in the second set saw Williams win 3-1 in legs to level the match.

The encounter then ebbed and flowed, with a 134 checkout from Whitehead helping him win the third set.

Back came Williams to level the next match before he won a dramatic fifth set to go ahead for the first time.

Williams should have won the first leg of the next set, but mistakes gifted it to Whitehead and the Kent man went on to win the set to make it 3-3.

But despite it looking like it was going to be Whitehead's day, Williams came back to win one of the best matches ever seen at Lakeside.