Phil Taylor, the thirteen-time world champion was dumped out of the Ladbrokes.com PDC World Championship after a pulsating 5-4 defeat by Wayne Mardle.

Mardle won the final set by six legs to four after a thrilling match which saw the man dubbed ‘Hawaii 501’ reduced to tears at the end.

Taylor had opened up a 3-0 lead with a clinical display early on, but Mardle fought back in style to take the game to a final set which he edged.

It was the fourth time in a row that Taylor had been taken to the final set and the defeat means the tournament will stage a final without Taylor for the first time in its history.

“Everyone has said that he [Taylor] has played badly all week, but it takes a great game from me to beat him,” Mardle said.

“I felt fantastically good and I kept saying to my family ‘don’t worry, I’ll win’. I won’t let anyone down whether I win or not. I will not give up. I was 3-0 down and felt I could win and I did.”

Taylor said: “He played brilliantly, he stuck in well. Fair play to the lad, he was brilliant in the final few legs. If Wayne gets his head on now he’s got the best chance of his life to be world champion.”

Qualifier Kirk Sheperd produced an inspired performance to edge past Peter Manley 5-4 and will meet Mardle in the last four.

The 21-year-old was 4-3 down and faced throws for the match in the third leg of the deciding set, but came through to reach the semi-finals at his first attempt.

“It’s a dream come true, I can’t believe it,” Shepherd said. “If someone had said to me at the start of the competition that I’d reach the semi-finals I’d have settled for that - but I’m not finished yet. I’m on a roll and I want to keep going.

“It’s a lot about confidence and luckily I have a lot of confidence and I held my nerve. In the last set I got my chance and really went for it.

“I wasn’t thinking about the nine-dart finish, I was just concentrating on getting to the double and hitting it. Luckily enough I did.”

Two-time world champion John Part also edged a nine-set thriller against world number three James Wade. Part had led 2-0 and 3-1 before coming through a tense deciding set to reach the last four.

“Maybe James wasn’t at his best but he’s a class player and I feel very fortunate to get into the semis,” Part said.

“I knew if I kept hitting the 97s and 96s that I’d be in with a shot. There were a few missed chances but my mind’s racing on everything before it was four-all - you have to play from there. I was ahead a couple of times and he came back really well but the final set was very satisfying.”

Part plays Kevin Painter, who beat Adrian Lewis 5-2, in the second semi-final.

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