Former world junior champion Tomoka Miyazaki stunned Akane Yamaguchi in the women's singles semi-finals of the US$2 million BWF China Open in Changzhou yesterday.
The 18-year-old Miyazaki defeated fourth seed Yamaguchi 22-20, 21-15 to reach her first World Tour Super 1000 final.
"My target before the start of the tournament was to reach the quarter-finals. So, I'm extremely happy to have won yesterday's match and today's match. It's my dream and goal to play in tomorrow's final," said Miyazaki.
"I will take tomorrow's final as a challenge to reach greater heights."
Two-time world champion Yamaguchi was full of praise for Miyazaki, who is nine years her junior.
"[She] was very outstanding. She played at a level beyond her age. She remained extremely calm, and her movement was excellent," Yamaguchi said.
Miyazaki will take on China's third seed Wang Zhiyi in the final. Wang prevented an all-Japanese final, defeating seventh seed Aya Ohori 21-15, 21-18.
Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai of Malaysia beat Chinese pair Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi 21-18, 21-18 to reach the mixed doubles final.
They will play China's second seeds Feng Yanshe and Huang Dongping, who beat Indonesia's Dejan Ferdinansyah and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja 21-16, 21-15, in the decider.
In women's doubles semi-finals, Li Jiyang and Luo Xumin of China beat eighth seeds Jeong Na-Eun and Kim Hye-Jeong 21-12, 21-14. They will play Li Wenmei and Zhang Shuxian, who upset fifth seeds Jia Yifan and Zheng Yu 21-17, 22-20, in an all-Chinese decider.
In the men's doubles final, seventh seeds Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin will play either fellow Malaysians Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi or fifth seeds He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu of China.
The 18-year-old Miyazaki defeated fourth seed Yamaguchi 22-20, 21-15 to reach her first World Tour Super 1000 final.
"My target before the start of the tournament was to reach the quarter-finals. So, I'm extremely happy to have won yesterday's match and today's match. It's my dream and goal to play in tomorrow's final," said Miyazaki.
"I will take tomorrow's final as a challenge to reach greater heights."
Two-time world champion Yamaguchi was full of praise for Miyazaki, who is nine years her junior.
"[She] was very outstanding. She played at a level beyond her age. She remained extremely calm, and her movement was excellent," Yamaguchi said.
Miyazaki will take on China's third seed Wang Zhiyi in the final. Wang prevented an all-Japanese final, defeating seventh seed Aya Ohori 21-15, 21-18.
Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Jemie Lai of Malaysia beat Chinese pair Cheng Xing and Zhang Chi 21-18, 21-18 to reach the mixed doubles final.
They will play China's second seeds Feng Yanshe and Huang Dongping, who beat Indonesia's Dejan Ferdinansyah and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja 21-16, 21-15, in the decider.
In women's doubles semi-finals, Li Jiyang and Luo Xumin of China beat eighth seeds Jeong Na-Eun and Kim Hye-Jeong 21-12, 21-14. They will play Li Wenmei and Zhang Shuxian, who upset fifth seeds Jia Yifan and Zheng Yu 21-17, 22-20, in an all-Chinese decider.
In the men's doubles final, seventh seeds Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin will play either fellow Malaysians Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi or fifth seeds He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu of China.
