Yamaguchi on course for fourth badminton world crown / Photo: Arun SANKAR - AFP
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Yamaguchi on course for fourth badminton world crown
Defending champion Akane Yamaguchi stayed on course for her fourth badminton world championship title with a win in the semi-final, while France's Alex Lanier reached the men's final.
Japanese ace Yamaguchi served out Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand 21-12, 21-17 at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
Yamaguchi looked in supreme touch as she went past her opponent, who got a walkover in the quarter-final after Nozomi Okuhara pulled out due to a knee injury, in game one.
The second game was close but world number two Yamaguchi's experience held her in good stead to move into her fourth world championship final.
"I don't look back at the previous wins that much, but yeah, it is amazing that I am here today and looking forward to enjoy the final," said Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi will face the winner of the second semi-final between South Korea's world number one An Se-young and China's Wang Zhiyi.
In men's singles, Lanier beat Victor Lai of Canada 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 in one hour and 25 minutes of intense action to assure himself of at least a silver.
Ninth-seeded Lanier, who became the first Frenchman to secure a world championship medal after his win in the quarter-final, lost the opening game but made Lai earn every point from being 0-7 down.
The 21-year-old Lanier bounced back in game two as his seventh-seeded opponent suddenly seemed to suffer from loss of energy and the the world number 10 capitalised.
Lanier closed out the decider with impressive winners and fell down on his knees to celebrate victory.
"I don't feel that emotional at the moment," Lanier said after the gruelling battle. "I am too tired to feel how big it is but I am just focusing on the next match tomorrow and do it the right way."
Lanier will face the winner of the other final-four clash between Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen and Kodai Naraoka of Japan.
Earlier mixed doubles pair of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue had already made the day memorable for France with a win in the semi-final over the Chinese duo of Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin.
F.Bennett--AMWN
