Chen Yufei of China hits a return against Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei during their women's singles semifinal match on day six of the Badminton World Championships in Tokyo on Aug 27, 2022. (PHILIP FONG / AFP)

TOKYO - Olympic champion Chen Yufei became the first player in eight years from Team China to reach the women's singles final with a victory over Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei at the World Badminton Championships in Tokyo on Saturday.

But China's long wait for a men's singles victory will continue as Zhao Junpeng was stopped by Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the semifinal. Zhao was seeking to become the first player from China to enter the men's singles final in four years.

The women's singles semifinal was a repeat of the Tokyo Olympic final last year when Chen defeated Tai in a three-set thriller to win the gold medal.

Saturday's match proved to be more difficult. Chen found herself slump to 10-2 behind and drop the first set 21-15, but recovered quickly in the second set and gained full control, winning 21-14

Saturday's match proved to be more difficult. Chen found herself slump to 10-2 behind and drop the first set 21-15, but recovered quickly in the second set and gained full control, winning 21-14.

Chen took a commanding 20-12 lead in the decider, holding off a late rally from Tai for a 21-18 victory.

Chen is also hopeful of becoming the first women's world champion from China in 11 years.

"Everybody is talking about how much China needs a women's world champion because we have not won it for 11 years," Chen said. "That is an invisible pressure for me. I hope to achieve that goal, but first of all, I just want to try my best in the next match."

In the final, Chen will take on defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan, who saw off South Korea's An Se-young 21-19, 21-12.

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China's Lin Dan and Chen Long used to rule the men's singles at the worlds, but since Kento Momota of Japan beat Shi Yuqi in the 2018 final, no Chinese player has reached the final in this event.

Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, who won the world title by beating Lin Dan in 2017, will be seeking his second world title after getting past fourth-seeded Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei 21-15, 21-17.

In the mixed doubles, top seed and two-time winners Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong beat Olympic champions Wang Yilyu and Huang Dongping to set up a final showdown against Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan.

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Top seed Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan will play their third final after beating Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara of Japan. They face South Korean duo Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong, who edged past Thailand's Puttita Supajirakul and Sapsiree Taerattanachai.

The men's doubles final will be contested between Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia and Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.