LONDON, Aug 2: World champion Wang Yihan led compatriots Wang Xin and Li Xuerui into the Olympic badminton semi-finals on Thursday, with only India’s Saina Nehwal standing in the way of a Chinese sweep of women’s singles.

China were already ensured of at least one gold medal when both of their top-seeded pairs reached the mixed doubles final.

Top-ranked Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei will face second-ranked Xu Chen and Ma Jin after both teams came back from losing the first game of their semi-finals to make Friday’s final.

The competition continued without the controversy that marred the event the past two days. On Tuesday, four women’s doubles teams lost their matches on purpose to ensure a more favorable draw in the next round, and were booed off the court.

On Wednesday, badminton’s ruling body kicked the eight players involved out of the games, and the IOC said Thursday it would urge the Chinese, South Korean and Indonesian national Olympic committees to investigate the coaches of the players.

Wang Yihan faced a rematch of last year’s worlds final with Cheng Shao-chieh of Taiwan, and won 21-14, 21-11.

Wang Xin, who held the No. 1 ranking before Wang Yihan to January last year, was given a fright by Thai 17-year-old Ratchanok Intanon before prevailing 17-21, 21-18, 21-14.

Then Li Xuerui, who came out of nowhere this year to earn a last-minute Olympic berth, beat Yip Pui Yin of Hong Kong 21-12, 22-20, winning the last game from 20-16 down while Nehwal beat Danish veteran Tine Baun 21-15, 22-20.—AP