Tang Jie-Ee Wei, Kian Meng-Pei Jing charge into China Open semis

PETALING JAYA: Shuttlers Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei continued their brilliant form by smashing into the semi-finals of the China Open.

Tang Jie-Ee Wei fought hard to overcome Taiwan's Ye Hong-wei-Lee Chia-hsin 21-15, 13-21, 21-16 in a thrilling mixed doubles last-eight clash at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Changzhou on Friday (Sept 8).

It was the world No. 11 pair's fourth straight win over the Taiwanese world No. 15.

The victory meant that Tang Jie-Ee Wei have now made it into their first ever semi-final in a Super 1000 tourney.

"This is a breakthrough for us as our best result in a Super 1000 event previously was reaching the quarter-finals in the Malaysian Open (in January)," Tang Jie said in a post-match interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

"But the job is not done for us as we still have a semi-final to look forward to."

Awaiting them in the last four will be either Japan's world No. 2 Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino or world No. 8 Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue of France.

Meanwhile, independent pair Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing joined Tang Jie-Ee Wei in the semi finals after pulling off a stunning 21-18, 21-19 victory over Thailand’s world No. 4 Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai.

It was an outstanding result for the struggling world No. 23 duo, who had not cleared the early rounds in any of their individual tournaments this year before this.

Kian Meng-Pei Jing will next take on South Korea’s recently crowned world champions Seo Seung-jae-Chae yu-jung for a place in the final.

"It's a huge win for us and words cannot describe how happy I feel," said a thrilled Pei Jing.