Phil Taylor suffered his first defeat in eight years at the World Matchplay after he was beaten 17-14 by James Wade in Saturday’s first semi-final.
Wade led 16-12 but struggled to get across the finish line at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, spurning eight chances at a double in the 29th leg.
Taylor could not complete the comeback, though, as Wade steadied his nerves to hit double top and secure his place in the final, where he will face the winner of the match between Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright.
Wade claimed the crown in 2007 after Terry Jenkins had knocked out Taylor but he was second best in the opening encounters, twice drawing level after trailing 3-1 and 7-5.
'The Machine' then took control, moving into the lead at 13-10 and 16-12 before surviving his late scare.
Finishes of tops, double 18 and double seven gave Taylor three of the first four legs, and after Wade hit back with a 120 finish an outstanding ten-darter put the reigning champion 4-2 up.
Taylor began leg seven with scores of 180 and 140, but a 168 from Wade helped apply the pressure before he punished a miss at double 13 by hitting double top for a 13-darter to bounce back.
'The Power' produced a 12-darter to take a 5-3 lead, but Wade responded with a 180 in a 14-darter before breaking throw on tops - after his opponent missed the same bed - to level.
Taylor took the next two with the aid of maximums for a 7-5 cushion, but the left-hander again hit back as he took the next four legs - punishing missed doubles from Taylor in three - to move 9-7 up, with 76 and 64 combinations proving key.
Wade then missed two darts to extend his advantage as Taylor finished 97 with a single 19, double 19 and double top checkout, and a 14-darter which included a second 177 opening of the game saw him level at nine-all.
The next two were also traded before Taylor's miss at tops in the 21st leg allowed Wade in on the same double to edge 11-10 up, and he then finished 84 and 65 to pull three legs clear.
Taylor kicked off the next with a 174 score as he replied with an 11-darter before the duo traded 180s as double ten moved Wade 14-11 up, only for the left-hander to miss his shot at the bull for a 161 checkout as his opponent took leg 26.
Wade showed his mettle though as he won the next two with a 13-darter and double six, after a 177 score left 24, as he moved to the brink of victory at 16-12.
But he let his opponent back in as he missed eight match darts at doubles in leg 29, with Taylor staying in the hunt with double 16 before finishing double six to pull back to 16-14.
Wade regained his composure though, with scores of 140, 174 and 140 to pull clear in the next leg and finished tops for a 12-darter to complete a famous triumph.
"I'm quite ecstatic. It’s not very often I'm lost for words," Wade told Sky Sports.
"He let me in and did not play his normal darts.
"You lose that leg and all of a sudden you think: 'Is that my last shot?'
"But I played well enough to get another shot and finished the job off."
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