KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 ― Spain's Carolina Marin and Li Xuerui of China will be fighting tooth and nail for the women's singles title of the Super Series Premier Malaysia Open in the final tomorrow.

Marin, the World Number Two and 2014 World Champion, will be hunting for her first Malaysia Open title at Stadium Putra, Bukit Jalil, while Xuerui, the World Number Three, is eyeing her second title after last year's success.

Marin made it to the final after upsetting Wang Shixian of China in straight sets of 21-17 and 24-22, avoiding a repeat of last year's final where Xuerui defeated Shixian.

“Tomorrow it is going to be another good match, I am looking forward to meet her. I will talk with my coach to come up with a game plan before getting on to the court tomorrow,” she told reporters after the match.

Meanwhile, in the other semifinal match, Saina Nehwal of India, the newly crowned World Number One, was defeated by Xuerui after a one hour and eight minutes battle despite unfavourable fan support.

Saina who comfortably won the first set 21-13, failed to stop the Chinese from a repeat of the 2014 Copenhagen World Championship final in Kuala Lumpur, losing 17-21 and 20-22 in the last two sets.

Xuerui, the 2014 Incheon Asian Games gold medallist, felt the luck was on her side to win the game as the Indian was in a great form the past few months.

“It was very hard to win the game today as I have not been playing high level players for a very long time. I will play my best tomorrow to win the title,” she said.

At last year's world championship in Copenhagen, Carolina emerged as winner after defeating Xuerui 17-21, 21-17 and 21-18.

First to book a berth for finals today was mixed doubles pair Xu Chen/Ma Jin of China after their compatriots Liu Cheng/Bao Yixin gave a walk over due to injury problems.

They will face compatriots Zhang Nan/Zhao Yunlei, who upset Indonesian pair Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir 21-19, 14-21 and 21-11, in an all Chinese final tomorrow. ― Bernama