Chen - now the world's top ranked player after Malaysian Lee Chong Wei, last year's All England winner, was suspended from competition after failing a doping test last year - has invariably struggled against Dan but sparkled today in front of 4,000 fans.

After a tight set, he accelerated away to win 21-13, 21-12, reaping the rewards of adopting offensive tactics to keep his opponent on the back foot, and withstanding a fight back at the beginning of the second set.

"The important phase was coming from behind in the second," admitted the winner afterwards.

"This win means that I can improve knowing I can beat players like that."

Chen will now face second seed Jan Ø. Jørgensen of Denmark, who overcame Sho Sasaki of Japan to become the first European to reach the men's singles final at the annual event since fellow countryman Peter Gade did so in 2004.

In the corresponding women's event, third seeded Saina Nehwal of India will face Spanish world champion Carolina Marin in the final after overcoming Sun Yu, the last Chinese player left in the competition, 21-13, 21-13.

Saina Nehwal will be carrying the Indian charge on finals day in Birmingham, after qualifying to face the world champion in the women's singles ©AFP/Getty Images



Marin accounted for Taiwanese rising star Tai Tzu Ying, who had earlier knocked out Chinese second seed Wang Shixian in the quarter-finals, 21-18, 21-11.

Indonesia's Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir will be chasing a fourth successive All England title in the mixed doubles after a good semi-final win over Danish second seeds Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen.

But they will have their work cut out in tomorrow's final against China's world number and world champion pairing Zhang Nan and Zhao Yunlei.

There is also much Chinese interest in the other doubles events, with Fu Haifeng and Zhang Nan taking on Denmark's Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen for the men's doubles' title, with the second seeded Danish pair the only top four seeds to have made the semi-final stage.

There is an all Chinese encounter in the women's doubles final as World Championship silver medallists Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang take on Bao Yixin and Tang Yuanting.

All five finals will take place in the English city tomorrow.

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