Saina Nehwal thrashed Indonesia's Pia Zebadiah Bernadet to enter the women's singles final in the Yonex Chinese Taipei Open Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament on Saturday.
The world No 14-ranked Indian, who became the first Indian woman to win a four-star badminton tournament at the Philippines Open in 2006, won the semi-final 21-7, 21-14.
She will meet unseeded Malaysian Lydia Cheah, who defeated local girl Chiu Yi Ju 21-17, 14-21, 21-12 in the other semi-final.
This is the third major final for the Indian ace, who also entered the summit clash at the World Junior badminton championship in 2007.
Saina was looking forward to a semi-final meeting Maria Kristin Yulianti, who had beaten her in the quarter-finals at the Beijing Olympics, but Pia shocked Yulianti in the quarter-finals.
Semi-finals results:
Men's singles: Simon Santoso (Ina) bt Eric Pang (Ned) 21-16, 21-15; Roslin Hashim (Mas) bt Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) 21-17, 16-21, 21-19.
Men's doubles: Mathias Boe-Carsten Morgensen (Den) bt Razif Latif-Tan Wee Kiong (Mas) 21-19, 21-14; Candra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan (Ina-US) bt Hoon Thien How-Ong Soon Hock (Mas) 21-14, 22-20.
Women's singles: Lydia Cheah (Mas) bt Chiu Yi Ju (Tai) 21-17, 14-21, 21-12; Saina Nehwal (Ind) bt Pia Zabedah (Ina) 21-7, 21-14.
Women's doubles: Cheng Wen Hsing-Chien Yu Chin (Tai) bt Kaori Imabeppu-Shizuka Matsuo (Jpn) 21-14, 20-22, 21-14; Rani Mundiasti-Jo Novita (Ina) bt Sari Shinta Mulia-Yao Lei (Sin) 12-21, 21-14, 21-12.
Mixed doubles: Fang Chieh Min-Cheng Wen Hsing (Tai) bt Wang Chia Min-Wang Pei Rong (Tai) 21-12, 21-16; Devin Lahardi-Lita Nurlita (Ina) bt Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen (Den) 21-17, 19-21, 21-16.
