eased into the semi-finals. Eighth-seed Zhang came back from one game down to outclass Japan's Kanako Yonekura while third seed Gong Ruina staged a dramatic fightback to beat former Indonesia ace Mia Audina-Tjiptawan, now representing the Netherlands, AFP reported.
Zhang and Gong's victories mean China will have at least three, and possibly four, representatives in the women's singles semi-finals at the San Pablo Stadium.
Favourite Gong Zhichao and former world number one Dai Yun face each other in a quarter-final later Friday, while China's other singles player, second seed Zhou Mi plays Denmark's Mette Sorensen in the other quarter.
On form few would bet against an all-Chinese line-up in the last four.
In Friday's early women's quarters China's players displayed an uncanny knack of getting off the hook even when luck was against them.
Zhang looked out-of-sorts and under threat against 12th seed Yonekura after losing the first game 9-11.
But she raised her game several notches thereafter with effortless ease and Yonekura was unable to respond as Zhang turned on the style to win 9-11, 11-1,
It was a similar story in the other quarter, although Gong was made to squirm far more against Audina, the 1996 Olympic silver medallist.
Audina had showed her familiar delicate touch in the first game before losing the second to a resurgent Gong.
Audina responded in the third and raced into an 8-1 lead only for Gong to respond dramatically to clinch a dramatic 6-11, 11-8, 11-8 win.
Ning Zhang wins badminton singles title (2004-08-19)China's women take control at world badminton championships (2001-06-08)2 (11285)
