Marin storm blows away Saina

Olympic champion Carolina Marin bellowed and blustered her way into the badminton World Championships semi-finals on Friday with a devastating victory over India’s Saina Nehwal.

The 25-year-old Spaniard and seventh seed is chasing a third world crown and on this ominous form she looks like she could well get it.

Marin plays China’s He Bingjiao in the last four in Nanjing after the sixth seed stunned world number one Tai Tzu-ying of Taiwan. Marin destroyed 10thseeded Nehwal, who cut a demoralised figure by the end of this 21-6, 21-11 mauling.

The Spaniard is particularly vocal and demonstrative on court, shouting or screaming in Spanish after every winning point and before serving too.

One member of the audience took to imitating her. Asked what she was hollering, Marin replied with a laugh: “I cannot tell you! It is just something I keep to myself. It was not a strategy against Saina, it is something I do against any opponent. I do it for myself.

“I learnt to do this some years ago, it was not something I did from the beginning of my career, that’s impossible because I was too young. I had to learn many things in my career, and this is one thing I learnt.”

Nehwal, a former number one who looked shell-shocked afterwards, said that she had no complaints about Marin’s behaviour. “The pace she is playing at is quite tremendous, she was very fast,” said Nehwal.

NANJING,CHINA:

TAI TZU-YING OUT

The strongly fancied Tai tasted just a second defeat in 35 matches, a run which brought five titles and cemented her status as the woman to beat in Nanjing.

But the 24-year-old was sloppy at times against He, making a series of unforced errors, particularly at the net, going out of the tournament over three unpredictable games.

China’s He emerged after just under an hour to win 21-18, 7-21, 21-13 in a thrilling contest.