Zhou Mi reached her first Super Series final as a representative of Hong Kong when she defeated Jun Jae-youn at the Korea Open in Seoul yesterday.
The former mainlander and world number one, who donned the SAR colours nine months ago, was in tremendous form as she routed the South Korean in straight sets, 21-16, 21-12, in the semi-finals.
Zhou, 28, will meet third seed Lu Lan of China for the title in the US$300,000 tournament - the highest prize money of all the 12 Super Series events in 2008. The mainlander showed no mercy against Cheng Shao-chieh of Taiwan with a 21-12, 21-13 win in the other semi.
'Just making the final is already a big boost for Zhou,' said coach Chan Chi-choi. 'Her best record in a Super Series event was a place in the quarter-finals and she needs a breakthrough to prove herself.'
Zhou defeated her former compatriot 2-0 in their only previous encounter, at last year's Thailand Open.