Top seed and defending champion Kento Momota fought back from a game down to beat Lu Guangzu of China ©Getty Images

Top seed and defending champion Kento Momota fought back from a game down to beat Lu Guangzu of China and reach the semi-finals of the Badminton Asia Championships in Wuhan.

Momota was on the brink of a shock exit when he lost the first game but he recovered to clinch a 16-21, 21-11, 21-14 victory at Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium.

The world champion will face Tien Minh Nguyen of Vietnam in the last four.

Tien had been due to take on reigning Olympic champion Chen Long but the Chinese player was forced to withdraw after suffering an injury in his win against Malaysia's Chong Wei Feng yesterday.

Second seed Shi Yuqi is also through to the semi-finals after he swept aside India's Sameer Verma 21-10, 21-12.

Chen Yufei, the top seed in the women's draw, cruised into the semi-finals in Wuhan ©Getty Images
Chen Yufei, the top seed in the women's draw, cruised into the semi-finals in Wuhan ©Getty Images

Shi's opponent in the last four will be third seed Chou Tien-chen, a 22-20, 24-26, 21-15 winner over Japan's Kenta Nishimoto in a marathon quarter-final.

Chen Yufei, the top seed in the women's draw, cruised into the semi-finals with a 21-17, 21-19 triumph against Aya Ohori of Japan.

Chen will face third seed Akane Yamahuchi after the Japanese player beat India's Saina Nehwal 21-13, 21-23, 21-16.

Second seed Nozomi Okuhara's bid for the Asian title came to an end as she lost 21-16, 23-21 to Chinese fifth seed He Bingjiao.

He will go up against unseeded compatriot Cai Yanyan for a place in the final.

Semi-finals will be held when the tournament resumes tomorrow.