China's Chen Yufei competes during the women's singles semifinal match against India's Sindhu Pusarla V. at the BWF Badminton World Championships 2019 in Basel, Switzerland, Aug. 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Jundong)
BASEL, Switzerland, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- Fourth seed Chen Yufei of China was routed by India's Sindhu V. Pusarla in straight sets in the women's singles semifinals of the Badminton World Championships here on Saturday.
The 21-year-old Chen, who lost to the Indian shuttler at the same stage two years ago at the Glasgow worlds, was beaten 21-7, 21-14 after only 34 minutes.
Pusarla, the fifth seed, will next face the winner of the other semifinal between two former world champions, the 2013 winner Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand and Japan's Nozomi Okuhara, the 2017 winner whom she lost to in the final.
"She played more consistently and made fewer mistakes," Chen said. "My legs were heavy and I just felt that I could only run the steps without speed."
Chen's loss means that China will have no player to reach the women's singles final for the fourth consecutive world championships.
China, who claimed all but two women's singles titles from 1983 to 2011, won this event last time in 2011 through Wang Yihan.
