Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli and South Korean pair Jung Kyung-eun and Kim Ha-na (pictured top) played out a desperately poor match riddled with mistakes, with the winner set to face Chinese pair Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei.

Having lost 21-14, 21-11 the Chinese pair of Yang and Xiaoli cannot now meet their compatriots until the final.

The Chinese players claimed they were saving energy but were booed off the court at the end by irate spectators and drew criticism from the South Korean coach, Sung Han-kook.

He said: "The Chinese started this.

"It's a complicated thing with the draws.

"They did not want to meet each other in the semi-final, they do not want that to happen.

"They [BWF] should do something about that."


Match referee Torsten Berg takes issue with the South Korean and Indonesian players

A later game between South Korea's Ha Jung-eun and Kim Min-jung and Indonesia's Meiliana Jauhari and Greysia Polii ended in similar controversy.

The match referee, Torsten Berg, presumably exasperated having earlier had to warn the players in the Xiaoli/Yan clash, at one point decided to disqualify the players in the later match.

He went back on that decision and again it was the Koreans who won, 18-21, 21-14, 21-12.

The BWF is meeting this morning after announcing its decision to open charges against the players overnight.

"Badminton World Federation (BWF) has opened two disciplinary cases against four women's pairs who contested women's doubles matches in the London 2012 Olympics last evening [Tuesday 31 July] at Wembley Arena," a statement read.

"The pairs have been charged under BWF's Players' Code of Conduct – Sections 4.5 and 4.16 respectively – with 'not using one's best efforts to win a match' and 'conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport'."

A furious Gail Emms has branded the incidents as "embarrassing"

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it is confident that the BWF will take whatever action is necessary, whilst former British silver medallist Gail Emms could not disguise her fury.

"I'm furious," she said.

"It is very embarrassing for our sport.

"This is the Olympic Games.

"If badminton wants to save face they should disqualify the two pairs and reinstate the pairs that came third in the group.

"This is something that is not acceptable.

"The crowd paid good money to watch two matches."

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