Carolina Marín won her fourth match since returning from injury ©Getty Images

Olympic champion Carolina Marín continued her injury comeback by reaching the semi-finals of the Badminton World Federation China Open in Changzhou.

Marín, playing in her first tournament after eight months out, fought back to beat He Bing Jiao of China 11-21, 21-14, 21-15 at the Olympic Sports Center Xincheng Gymnasium.

"I knew it would be tough, as she was playing at home," the Spaniard said. 

"Sometimes for me it was difficult.

"I just wanted to keep thinking about what I had to do."

The Spaniard will face Sayaka Takahashi for a place in the final after the Japanese player stunned 2013 world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 14-21, 21-14, 22-20.

Chen Yufei of China will go up against second seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei.

Japan's Kento Momota booked his place in the semi-finals by defeating team mate Kanta Tsuneyama ©Getty Images
Japan's Kento Momota booked his place in the semi-finals by defeating team mate Kanta Tsuneyama ©Getty Images

Chen defeated Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 22-20, 21-13, while Tai overcame Chochuwong's compatriot Busanan Ongbamrungphan 21-17, 21-10.

In the men's singles draw, top seed and world champion Kento Momota swept aside team mate Kanta Tsuneyama 21-11, 21-8.

Momota's opponent in the last four will be China's Olympic gold medallist Chen Long, who ousted Hong Kong's Ng Ka Long Angus 21-13, 21-13.

Second seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei crashed out at the quarter-final stage following a 21-17, 21-11 reverse at the hands of Denmark's Anders Antonsen.

The Dane will play Indonesia's seventh seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting after he beat India's Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth 16-21, 21-6, 21-16.

The tournament continues tomorrow.