Saina Nehwal was the lone Indian left in the Australian Open Super Series badminton tournament after a hard-fought victory over China's Sun Yu in Sydney on Thursday.
The world No 1 overcame a stiff challenge from Yu, ranked No 9, winning 21-19, 19-21, 21-14 in 78 minutes.
The London Olympics bronze medallist will meet two-time All-England champion Shixian Wang next.
The Indian has a 6-5 record in 11 meetings between the two.
However, it was curtains for world No 4 Kidambi Srikanth and the 2010 Commonwealth Games champion pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa.
Fourth seed Srikanth went down to China's Tian Houwei 21-18, 17-21, 13-21 in a men's singles match, while Gutta and Ponnappa were beaten by the fourth seeded Indonesian pair of Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii 14-21, 10-21 in the women’s doubles.
Saina, who had beaten Sun Yu thrice in the last four meetings, broke away at five after the scores ran neck and neck and went into the break with a 11-6 lead.
Yu played better after the interval and gradually narrowed the gap before drawing abreast at 18-18, but a determined Saina allowed the Chinese just another point before taking the opening game.
The Indian could have wrapped the match in the second game itself as she had a huge six-point lead at 13-7, but Yu almost levelled the score at 13-13.
An alert Saina held her nerve and moved to 18-15 but could not prevent Sun, who roared back into the contest with a three-point burst from 18-19, from take in the game.
In the decider, Saina raced away to a 12-4 lead and though the Chinese fought back gallantly, the big lead the Indian established was too much erase.
