Wang upsets Indian hope, Denmark take bronze

LONDON - Top seed Wang Yihan deflated a nation of over a billion people when she thrashed India's strong title hope Saina Nehwal to set up an all-China final in the women's badminton singles on Friday.

China's Yihan Wang celebrates winning against India's Saina Nehwal during their womens singles badminton semifinals match during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Wembley Arena August 3, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

Nehwal's run to the semi-finals raised a tidal wave of expectation in her home country and she admitted to suffering an attack of nerves as she crumbled 21-13 21-13, despite the overwhelming support of the Wembley Arena crowd.

China's involvement in a match-throwing scandal that saw eight athletes disqualified this week has overshadowed the tournament and the second women's semi-final between the team's second-seeded Wang Xin and third seed Li Xuerui was played in a strangely subdued atmosphere.

Li prevailed 22-20 21-18 to continue her stunning rise to the pinnacle of world badminton, having come from nowhere to win 30 straight matches in the leadup to the Games. The final will be played on Saturday.

Joachim Fischer and Christinna Pedersen won the mixed doubles bronze for Denmark, trouncing Indonesian pair Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir 21-12 21-12.