China secured the women's singles gold medal at the Japan open badminton tournament when Zhou Mi defeated last local hope Kaori Mori to make the final on Friday.

With her victory, the final will be an all-Chinese affair, in which Zhou will take on Gong Ruina for the crown.

In the semi-final match, Zhou fought off a spirited challenge from the Japanese for an 11-9, 11-2 win in 45 minutes.

Third-seeded Gong had a tough first game against her teammate Zhang Ning, but after winning it she gathered momentum to go through with a 13-11, 11-4 victory.

Zhou, All England runner-up last month, holds a 5-3 win-loss record against Gong, but Gong has won the last two matches.

(People's Daily 04/09)