Danish badminton star Anders Antonsen is well on his way towards a top result in the first major tournament of the year.
On Friday, the Aarhus player advanced to the semifinals of the Super 1000 tournament Malaysia Open after a convincing victory.
Antonsen beat world number 14 Kenta Nishimoto from Japan 21-10, 21-12 after an impressive performance.
The third-seeded Dane will face significantly tougher opposition in Saturday's semifinals in Kuala Lumpur as World No. 1 Shi Yuqi from China awaits.
The two have already faced each other on a number of occasions, also on the green indoor floor in Malaysia. Last year, Shi Yuqi won the final over Antonsen while the Dane won the tournament two years ago.
The quarter-final could potentially also have turned into a tricky encounter for the 28-year-old Dane, but Antonsen took control from the start and made the difference between the players look bigger than expected.
Antonsen quickly raced ahead 5-0, and at the end of the change-over, Antonsen led 11-3. Antonsen comfortable won the set 21-10, while the Japanese tried to save his strength for a comeback in the second set.
However, Nishimoto was not very successful.
Antonsen continued to have good control of both his short and long game, and although the two players were more even at the start of the second set, there was never any doubt that Antonsen would prevail.
