Phil Taylor’s dream of winning a 16th World Matchplay title in his final season before retirement is firmly alive after an astonishing 16-6 quarter-final victory over world number one Michael van Gerwen.
In an unforgettable meeting between the 'greatest ever' and the 'best right now', Taylor completely upset the odds with a vintage display of high scoring and clinical finishing while a visibly-rattled MVG was simply woeful on his doubles.
Spurred along by a raucous Blackpool crowd that was virtually unanimously in his favour, the 15-time champion averaged over 101, hit 10 maximums and hit 57% of his doubles but crucially he won the mental battle against a man who hasn't suffered such a demoralising defeat since his ascent to the top of the game.
Two-time defending champion van Gerwen, who missed 21 of his 27 shots at doubles and only hit three maximums yet still managed to average 101.07, hadn't failed to land a major televised title since being beaten by Taylor in the inaugural Champions League of Darts final last September (he was absent from the 2017 UK Open) while it was his first loss at an established major since the 2016 World Championship, when Raymond van Barneveld won a third-round classic.
Taylor is now Sky Bet's tournament favourite at 5/4 having started out at 20/1 while his semi-final opponent Adrian Lewis is 5/1. The other last-four showdown on Saturday night sees 7/4 second favourite Peter Wright take on 7/1 outsider Daryl Gurney, who was tipped up at 80/1 each-way by our darts expert Chris Hammer.
Taylor, who was 4/1 to beat 1/6 favourite van Gerwen, hit out at his opponent when interviewed by Sky Sports after the clash.
Accusing the Dutchman of texting fellow players during the interval of his match with Simon Whitlock earlier in the week, Taylor said: "He's a professional, he's world number one, he's world champion - grow up.
"I think he's stupid for doing that. I don't think he's been right all week."
He added on the PDC website: "Michael is a brilliant player but he didn't perform tonight and the doubles killed him. The atmosphere was fantastic and it was different for Michael because they were on my side. He was out of his comfort zone but the crowd don't throw your darts for you.
"Even at 12-3 I thought he could come back and it was a good match. I was about 18/1 with the bookies just to reach the semi-finals but I'm under no pressure and I had a different mindset tonight - I was relaxed and enjoying it."
Van Gerwen refused to give an interview to Sky Sports following the defeat but afterwards tweeted: "What can I say? It just didn't happen for me tonight. No excuses. Phil was the better player. Thanks for support as always."
The Power, romped into a 4-0 lead thanks to a combination of his own lethal finishing from just six attempts at doubles and MVG missing his first five, as the world number one made an uncharacteristically nervy start.
Van Gerwen, who was still averaging well over 105, finally got on the board when checking out from 76 in two darts to take the last leg before the first interval, but when the players came back to the oche, Taylor held his throw with a 14-darter to go 5-1 up.
There was controversy in the seventh leg when the 15-time champion was unhappy about MVG’s apparent positioning in the exclusion zone behind him when missing three darts at a double but the Dutchman subsequently spurned all three of his – much to the crowd’s delight – before Taylor hit double five at the second attempt of his next visit.
Three more missed doubles from Taylor again went unpunished as he hit double five again to move 7-1 up and a 14-darter in the next – helped by more woeful finishing from his opponent – saw him break the van Gerwen throw as his lead increased to seven legs.
The odds-on tournament favourite hit back to break for the first time in the match but at 8-2 down at the second interval, he was still very much starring into the abyss of defeat.
A stylish bullseye, 16, double eight finish from 82 helped capitalise on three more missed darts at doubles from an MVG in crisis but he needed no extra help in the 12th leg as he took out 122 with a bullseye finish for a 10-2 lead.
Two routine holds followed before Taylor's unorthodox finish from 99 – seven, treble, double 16 – completed a 12-darter for a break as the Power went into the third interval with an astonishing 12-3 lead.
The 56-year-old couldn't follow up back-to-back maximums at the start of the next leg with a perfect nine-darter but he still took it in 11 to move 13-3 up and the next four went with throw as Taylor, who took the 20th leg with a fine bullseye-4-double 20 combination to checkout from 96, moved just one away from a memorable victory.
MVG kept the match alive on double one but it merely delayed the inevitable as Taylor ensured there would be no dramatic choke by rounding off the emphatic win with a 13-dart hold.
Earlier, Lewis held off Alan Norris' fightback to reach the semi-finals.
Lewis led 13-5 but struggled with a back injury as Norris hit back to get within one leg at 14-13.
However, Lewis nailed a crucial 102 checkout to win leg 28 and clinched a 16-13 victory in the next.
Lewis admitted he had been in pain - he is still feeling the after-effects of recent surgery.
He told Sky Sports: "I was (in pain). Since I had the operation a couple of weeks ago I've been having good days and bad days.
"Three hours in the car (driving to Blackpool from his Midlands base) was not good (for the injury)."
Lewis wasn't happy with his finishing - he missed 30 darts at a double, although that was fewer than his opponent's 32.
"I let him in a few times and he took his chances," he added.
"But if you are going to win a tournament you are allowed one bad game.
"On doubles it wasn't very good."
The former world champion flew out of the blocks, racing into a 3-0 lead only for his double trouble to begin in the fifth leg. He had three darts to lead 4-1 but instead Norris broke back.
He soon levelled at 3-3 before another three-leg run from Lewis put him back in command.
He should have led 7-3 but missed eight darts at a double in the 10th leg – one which saw Norris wanred for throwing underarm in frustration. ‘Chuck’ took it to give himself hope but he then hit the skids.
Lewis won the next four legs before a 105 checkout from Norris halted the streak.
A 136 out-shot from Lewis put him 12-5 up and 13-5 soon followed.
His level dipped though as his back problems came to the fore.
Norris won eight out of nine legs to get back to 14-13 as Lewis continued to miss chances.
At that point the match was back on throw but leg 28 was to prove vital.
Throwing first, Norris missed double-top for a 160 out-shot and Lewis stepped up to nail 102 to lead 15-13. He clinched victory in the next leg.
By Chris Hammer
Friday's World Matchplay results & Saturday schedule
Friday July 28
Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs)
Adrian Lewis 16-13 Alan Norris
Michael van Gerwen 6-16 Phil Taylor
Saturday July 29 (1900 BST)
Semi-Finals (best of 33 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Daryl Gurney (2/1) v Peter Wright (2/5)
Phil Taylor (4/11) v Adrian Lewis (11/5)
Related links
Sky Bet's latest World Matchplay odds
Full World Matchplay results & schedule