Ginting upsets top seed Chen

SYDNEY: Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting upset world No.2 and top seed Chen Long to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Badminton Open in Sydney on Friday.

The 19-year-old Ginting, ranked 31, knocked out the Chinese star 21-14, 21-17 to set up a last-four meeting with South Korea's Hyeok-Jin Jeon on Saturday.

Ginting, a former world junior boys' singles bronze medallist, took 44 minutes to get the better of Chen.

Chen was hoping to win the Australian Open and regain the world No.1 ranking he gave up to Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei after Wei claimed his sixth Indonesia Open title last weekend.

Jeon strolled into the semi-finals after his quarter-final with Hong Kong's Hu Yun ended in a walk-over.

India's Srikanth Kidambi downed South Korea's Kwang Hee Heo 21-18, 21-17 to advance to the other semi-final where he will face Hans-Kristian Vittinghus of Denmark.

Vittinghus beat Japan's Sho Sasaki 21-14, 21-18.

India's Saina Nehwal won a marathon 54-point opening game before prevailing 28-26, 21-16 over Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon to progress to the women's singles semi-finals.

Once Nehwal edged the first game she took control to boost her confidence heading into the weekend in Sydney.

Nehwal will face Chinese fourth seed Wang Yihan on Saturday after Wang disposed of Chinese-Taipei's eighth seed Tai Tzu-ying 21-19, 21-15.

The other semi-final will be an all-Chinese affair between third seed Li Xuerui and Sun Yu.

Li eliminated Chinese sixth seed Wang Shixian 21-19, 21-17, while Yu got the better of Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 21-18, 21-9.