BIRMINGHAM: olympic champion li xue

BIRMINGHAM: olympic champion li xuerui beat Ratchanok Intanon 21-18, 21-8 in the semi- finals of the all England Championships last night
to avenge the Chinese's loss to the Thai at last year's final at the World Championships. In a match between the top two players' world No.1 Li proved much too strong this time as No.2 Ratchanok looked exhausted. Ratchanok, then 18, beat Li in the final at the World Championships in August on Li's home soil in Guangzhou to become the youngest ever world champion in the sport. Ratchanok also became Thailand's first ever world champion in badminton. Her success came a few months after she finished runner-up at the all England championships. china is assured of the women's singles title as Li will meet fourth seed Wang Shixian in today's final after she upset compatriot and second seed Wang Yihan in yesterday's other semi-final. In Friday's quarter-finals, Ratchanok came from 10-6 down and improved steadily to win 23-21,21-15 against Michelle Li, the first Canadian quarter-finalist since 1979. World No.1 Li denied Sung Ji-Hyun, the fifth-seeded South Korean, 21-17, 21-18. In yesterday's men's singles semi-finals, world No.1 Lee Chong Wei cane from behind to beat South Korea's Wan Ho Son 14-21, 21-19, 21-15. Without Olympic champion Lin Dan of China, Lee is hot favourite to claim the title. "I shall really try to win the All England again," Lee said. In today's final, the Malaysian will take on defending champion and second-seeded Chen Long of China who defeated zhengming Wang 21-17, 21-14 in the other semi-final.