( Image credit : Channel news asia)
Japan's Akane Yamaguchi ( Image Above) stopped world No 1 and top seed Carolina Marin of Spain to reach the women's singles final in the USD700,000 Yonex Denmark Open Superseries Premier in Odense on Saturday.
In the semi-finals the 19-year-old Yamaguchi, ranked No 10 in the world and seeded No 8 in Odense, upset Marin with a hard fought 21-15, 19-21, 21-18 win after a marathon 82 minutes.
With the win the 19-year-old Yamaguchi tied the head-to-head count at 2-2 in four outings. Her last win over the Spaniard was in this year's Singapore Open in April where she won 13-21, 21-18, 21-18.
It was a remarkable win by Yamaguchi in Odense and her tremendous fighting spirit, The twice BWF Most Promising Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014 never allowed her opponent's reputation stand in the way.
In Sunday's final Yamaguchi will play fifth seed Tai Tzu Ying of Taiwan who was also involved in a three-set match against Hong Kong's Cheung Ngan Yi before prevailing 21-13, 20-22, 21-18 in 61 minutes.
The men's singles final will be between two Asian hopefuls – Thailand's Tanongsak Saensombonsuk and South Korean Son Wan-ho.
Tanongsak destroyed Frenchman Brice Leverdez in only 32 minutes with an easy straights 21-9, 21-13 win. Leverdez stunned world No 1 and top seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the quarter-finals with a 21-17, 20-22, 21-19 win.
Wan-ho maintained his stranglehold over compatriot Lee Hyung-II with a 21-14, 21-16 win to reach the final.
Malaysia's No 1 men's doubles pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong have finally made it to their first superseries final. The Malaysians, seeded No 4, roared to a 20-22, 21-15, 21-11 win over home favourites and second seeds Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen in 57 minutes.
In the final the Malaysians will face Thailand's Bodin Isara-Nipitphon Puangphuapet who upset seventh seeds Angga Pratama-Ricky Karanda Suwardi of Indonesia 21-11, 21-16.
Semi-Final Results
Men's singles
Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk (Tha) beat Brice Leverdez (Fra) 21-9, 21-13
Son Wan-ho (Kor) beat Lee Hyun-II (Kor) 21-14, 21-16
Men's doubles
Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) beat Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) 20-22, 21-15, 21-11
Bodin Isara-Nipitphon Phuangphupet (Tha) beat Angga Pratama-Rickey Karanda Suwardi (Ina) 21-11, 21-16
Women's singles
Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn) beat Carolina Marin (Spn) 21-15, 19-21, 21-18
Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe) beat Cheung Ngan Yi (Hkg) 21-13, 20-22, 21-18
Women's doubles
Misaki Matsumoto-Ayaka Takahashi (Jpn) beat Puttita Supajarikul-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Tha) 21-17, 21-11
Jung Kyung-eun-Shin Seung-chan (Kor) beat Nitya Krishinda Maheswari-Greysia Polii (Ina) 21-13, 26-24
Mixed doubles
Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) beat Chris Adcock-Gabriella Adcock (Eng) 21-16, 21-18
Zheng Siwei-Chen Qingchen (Chn) beat Lu Kai-Huang Yaqiong (Chn) 21-19, 22-20
