Changzhou: Reigning Olympic champion shuttler Carolina Marin on Saturday advanced to the final of the China Open after securing a hard-fought win over Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi. The Spaniard came from behind to a register a 20-22, 21-13, 21-18 win over Takahashi in a thrilling semifinal that lasted 72 minutes. In the other semifinal, Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-Ying defeated China’s Chen Yufei 6-21, 21-13, 22-20 in 53 minutes to set up a summit clash with Carolina Marin, which will be played on Sunday.
Marin is returning to the court after eight months following knee surgery in January. She could not participate in the World Championships in Switzerland last month as she failed to recover completely. IANS