BWF World Championships 2023: Carolina Marin through to semi-finals after reigning champ Viktor Axelsen goes out
Marin bested Tai Tzu-ying in straight games after HS Prannoy stunned Axelsen to guarantee himself a medal in Copenhagen.
Badminton
Carolina Marin eased through to the semi-finals of the BWF World Championships 2023 on Saturday (25 August).
The Spanish left-hander needed 50 minutes to beat Tai Tzu-ying 21-16, 21-14 in Copenhagen to set up a last-four clash with two-time reigning champ Yamaguchi Akane.
There was little to choose between the pair early on, unsurprisingly so given Tai led their head-to-head 10-9 in their 19 previous meetings. But it was Marin who started a charge just before the first mid-game interval to lead 11-6.
The player from Chinese Taipei, who won medals at the last two World Championships, was unable to close the gap with Marin sealing the first game 21-16.
Tai went out into a 6-2 lead in the second game, but the three-time badminton world champion found her form again to trail by just one at the interval.
Then came an inexplicable dip from Tai as she dropped seven points in succession to leave Marin on the brink of victory.
And the three-time world champion did not need a second invitation, taking 11 of the last 13 points to go through in 50 minutes.
Earlier, Viktor Axelsen's title defence came to a shock end at the hands of HS Prannoy.
After taking the first game comfortably, errors began to creep into the home favourite's game with Prannoy withstanding something of a fightback to take the second.
And the Olympic champion was unable to regain the initiative as the Indian sealed his third win in 10 attempts against Axelsen - 13-21, 21-15, 21-16 - and guaranteed him a first global medal.
Prannoy now faces Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn for a place in the final.
Anders Antonsen ensured there would be home interest in the men's semi-finals as he breezed past Japan's Nishimoto Kenta 21-10, 21-7 in just 43 minutes.
The 12th seeded Dane assured himself of a third World Championship medal and now awaits either Shi Yuqi or Naraoka Kodai in the semi-finals.
The 2023 BWF World Championships in Copenhagen can be followed live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com (territorial restrictions may apply). The tournament concludes on Sunday 27 August.