Sayaka Takahashi booked her place in the final against the London 2012 champion ©Getty Images

Japan's second seed Sayaka Takahashi booked a final date with London 2012 Olympic champion Li Xuerui at the Badminton World Federation Canada Open in Calgary.

The 25-year-old, a winner with her country at this year's Uber Cup, defeated China's double world junior champion Cai Yanyan 21-17, 21-16 in the semi-finals at the Canadian Winter Sport Institute today.

She will face another Chinese player in the form of Li who, despite her Olympic-winning past, is not seeded in Calgary.

Twenty-seven-year-old Li, a double World Championship medallist, booked her place in the final by beating Japan's Asuka Takahashi in three games.

Lu Guangzu battled into the men's final in three games ©Getty Images
Lu Guangzu battled into the men's final in three games ©Getty Images

A topsy-turvy encounter ended 21-11, 9-21, 21-12.

China and Japan will also collide in the men's singles final after Lu Guangzu and Minoru Koga made it through.

Lu will be the Chinese representative after his 21-18, 19-21, 21-16 success over Frenchman Thomas Rouxel.

Japanese qualifier Minoru Koga enjoyed an easier path as he defeated Denmark's Kim Bruun 21-16, 21-18.

All four semi-finalists were unseeded.

Both finals will be played tomorrow with the three doubles events also drawing to a conclusion.