He Bingjiao stuns World No.1 Tai Tzu-ying

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In a major upset at the ongoing BWF Badminton World Championships in Nanjing, World No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying was knocked out of the tournament after suffering a quarter-final defeat against China's He Bingjiao. It was just Tai's second defeat in 35 matches, a run which brought five titles and cemented her status as the woman to beat in Nanjing.

But the 24-year-old was sloppy at times, making a series of unforced errors, particularly at the net, and going down to the sixth seed over three unpredictable games.

China's He emerged after just under an hour to win 21-18, 7-21, 21-13 in a thrilling three-game contest.

He Bingjiao celebrates after beating Tai Tzu Ying in their women's singles match at the Badminton World Championships in Nanjing. /VCG Photo

She will play Spain's reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin, who defeated former World No. 1 Saina Nehwal of India, in the semifinals.

Earlier, on Thursday, Japanese poster boy Kento Momota came close to being eliminated at the hands of Denmark's Anders Antonsen but eventually prevailed to seal his place in the quarterfinals.

Kento Momota of Japan celebrates winning a point against Anders Antonsen of Denmark. /VCG Photo

Momota had a tough start, finding himself 8-1 down in the first game. Although he tried hard to close the gap and saved two game points, the Dane refused to let his big advantage disappear and grabbed the first game 21-13.

Momota rounded into form and bettered his opponent in the second game despite Antonsen's repeated attacks on the right side of the left-hander.

The No.6 seed could not sustain his momentum in the deciding game, shaking his head when 3-0 down. However, thanks to his crosscourt smashes, he was able to nail seven consecutive points and eventually saw out a 21-9 win to clinch the match.

(With input from agencies)