Top seed Akane Yamaguchi beat three-time former world champion Carolina Marin to reach the semi-finals of the India Open badminton on Friday in three games. In the men’s competition, world number one Viktor Axelsen also made the last four in New Delhi. Japan’s Yamaguchi defeated Spain’s Marin 21-17, 14-21, 21-9 as she chases successive titles to start the season.
Yamaguchi, herself a two-time world champion and the current world number one, faces Supanida Katethong of Thailand in the last four on Saturday.
The other women’s semi-final is between China’s He Bingjiao and South Korea’s second seed An Se-young.
In the men’s singles, top seed Axelsen advanced after his Danish compatriot Rasmus Gemke suffered a leg injury during the first game and had to retire.
Axelsen will take on Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie.
The other semi-final is between Anth Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia and Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
