Defending champions Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong of China beat Japan's Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino on Saturday to reach the mixed doubles final of the Badminton World Championships in Basel, Switzerland.
Having advanced only to the mixed double among the overall five finals this year, the Chinese badminton legion has so far set the worst record in its history of the world championships.
Saturday's victory came as their fastest in history as the Chinese couple swept their rivals 21-11, 21-15 in 37 minutes, just one step away from defending their championship.
Their opponents in Sunday's final will be Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai of Thailand, who had knocked out another Chinese duo Wang Yilyu/Huang Dongping in Saturday's semifinals.
Japan's Kento Momota celebrates his victory over India's Sai Praneeth Bhamidipati in their men's singles semi-final at the BWF Badminton World Championships in Basel, August 24, 2019. /VCG Photo
In the men's singles semifinals, top-seeded Japanese Kento Momota took only 62 minutes to win 21-13, 21-8 against India's Sai Praneeth B., setting up a final showdown against Anders Andonsen of Denmark.
Meanwhile, India's Sindhu V. Pusarla beat China's Chen Yufei 21-7, 21-14 to enter the women's singles final.
In the men's doubles semifinals on Saturday, Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan beat Chinese pair Li Junhui and Liu Yu Chen in straight sets, 21-19 and 21-13, to meet Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra setiawan of Indonisia in the final.
China's Liu Yuchen (L) and China's Li Junhui returns a shuttlecock to Japan's Yugo Kobayashi and Japan's Takuro Hokiduring their men's doubles semifinal at the BWF Badminton World Championships in Basel, August 24, 2019. /VCG Photo
In the men's doubles semifinals on Saturday, Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi of Japan beat Chinese pair Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen in straight sets, 21-19 and 21-13, to meet Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra setiawan of Indonisia in the final.
In the women's doubles, Japan has already secured the champion after second seed Yuki Fukushima/Sayaka Hirota defeated Chinese duo Du Yue/Li Yinhui 21-11, 21-17, while another Japanese pair Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara crushed their Indonesian rivals Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu 21-12, 21-19.
(With input from Xinhua)