Lingshui: Li Xuerui has the chance to win her first women’s singles international tournament since claiming the 2016 China Masters, as she advanced to the women’s 2018 China Masters final by beating compatriot Wang Zhiyi 21-19, 21-17 in the semi-finals.
Li hoped to make her competitive return in Lingshui after she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and injured her lateral meniscus in the Rio Olympic women’s singles semi-finals while she was playing against Carolina Marin of Spain.
The 2012 London Olympic champion will face South Korea’s Kim Ga Eun in the finals. Kim eliminated her teammate Sim Yu Jin 21-11, 21-11 in the other semi-final.
World No. 53 men’s singles player Chong Wei Feng of Malaysia set it all up perfectly, fighting back from 4-12 to 18-16 in the decider, but couldn’t finish the job by losing to Taiwan’s Lin Yu Hsien 17-21, 21-16, 21-23 in 73 minutes. Lin will play Lu Guangzu of China on Sunday.
Meanwhile, two Malaysian players have entered the final of 2018 Victor Dutch International. Cheam June Wei outlasted Hermansah of Indonesia 21-18, 21-19 in the semi-final and will take on another Indonesian player Adrian Dziolko in the final.
Unseeded Muralitharan Thinaah of Malaysia trounced Yaelle Hoyaux of France 21-16, 21-17 in the Dutch International women’s singles semi-finals to battle No. 1 seed Julie Dawall Jakobsen of Denmark on Sunday.
