World rankings did not mean anything as India's Sourabh Varma, ranked a low 82, put up a commanding performance to stun top seed and world No 22 Hsu Jen Hao of Taiwan to reach the men's singles final in the USD55,000 Taiwan Masters on Saturday.
The Indian, making a return to competitive badminton after a string of injuries, showed his class against the home favourite with a straight sets 11-4, 11-7, 11-9 win in 33 minutes and stretch his head to head count against the Taiwanese to 4-1.
It will be his third international final this year after finishing runners-up in the Belgium Open and the Poland Open. The unseeded Indian will face Malaysian professional Daren Liew in the final.
Daren, a former Thomas Cupper, quit the Malaysian team early this year and this will be his first final since turning professional. The Malaysian had to play four sets before prevailing 11-9, 6-11, 11-3, 12-10 in 50 minutes against fifth seed Lin Yu Hsien of Taiwan.
The women's singles final will be an all-Japan affair between third seed Ayumi Mine ( Image above) and unseeded Saena Kawakami.
Ayumi stopped No 5 seed Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand in 31 minutes with a 11-8, 11-4, 11-5 win while Saena downed compatriot Asuka Takahashi 11-7, 11-8, 11-8 in 30 minutes.
The men's doubles final will see Indonesia's Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto play top seeds and Taiwan's only hope of salvaging a title Cheng Hung Ling-Wang
Chi-Lin.
The Indonesians triumphed 6-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8 over Singapore's Terry Hee Yong Kai-Loh Kean Hean while the Taiwanese pair battled to a 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5 win against Japan's Hiroyuki Saeki-Ryota Taohata in 43 minutes.
The women's doubles will also be an all-Japan affair after Japanese they brushed aside their Malaysian opponents in the semi-finals.
Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota, the top seeds, cruised into the final with an easy 11-7, 11-7, 11-3 win over Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean while Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto also had it easy against Lim Yin Loo-Yap Cheng Wen with a 11-8, 11-9, 11-6 win in 29 minutes.
Hong Kong's Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet will battle for the mixed doubles title against Japan's Ryota Taohata-Koharu Yonemoto.
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Men's singles
Sourabh Varma (Ind) beat Hsu Jen Hao (Tpe) 11-4, 11-7, 11-9
Daren Liew (Mas) beat Lin Yu Hsien (Tpe) beat Hsueh Hsuan Yi (Tpe) 11-9, 6-11, 11-3, 12-10
Men's doubles
Fajar Alfian-Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Ina) beat Terry Hee Yong Kai-Loh Kean Hean (Sin) 6-11, 611, 11-5, 11-5, 11-8
Chen Hung Ling-Wang Chi-Lin (Tpe) beat Hiroyuki Saeki-Ryota Taohota (Jpn) 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 8-11, 11-5
Women's doubles
Yuki Fukushima-Sayaka Hirota (Jpn) beat Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean (Mas) 11-7, 11-7, 11-3
Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto (Jpn) beat Lim Yin Loo-Yap Cheng Wen (Mas) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6
Mixed doubles
Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet (Hkg) beat Riky Widianto-Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja (Ina) 11-5, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6
Ryoya Taohata-Koharu Yonemoto (Jpn) beat Lin Chia Yu-Wu Ti Jung (Tpe) 11-5, 11-5, 11-5
