China's Ding Ning has reached the last four in the ITTF Women's World Cup at Chengdu ©ITTF

China's Olympic and world champion Ding Ning secured the last semi-final place at the International Table Tennis Federation's Women's World Cup in Chengdu as all four top seeds lived up to their billing.

To the delight of the home crowd, third seed Ding defeated South Korea's Suh Hyowon 11-6, 11-3, 5-11, 11-6, 11-3 to earn a semi-final meeting with Japan's second seed, Kasumi Ishikawa.

The latter had come through an all-Japanese quarter-final, beating fifth seed Miu Hirano 4-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 at the Sichuan Province Gymnasium.

Earlier, Ding's colleague Zhu Yuling, the top seed and defending champion, had earned a semi-final meeting with Chinese Taipei's Cheng I-Ching, the fourth seed.

Home player Zhu Yuling looks set on ruling in Chengdu as she defends her ITTF Women's World Cup title ©ITTF
Home player Zhu Yuling looks set on ruling in Chengdu as she defends her ITTF Women's World Cup title ©ITTF

Zhu looked impressive as she defeated Austria's eighth seed Sofia Polcanova 11-6, 14-12, 11-8, 11-4.

Cheng I-Ching ended the hopes of Hong Kong's Doo Hoi Kem, the number seven seed, with an 8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6 win.

Every player had to negotiate both a round-of-16 and quarter final match today after a qualifying group phase yesterday.

Australia's 45-year-old Jian Fang Lay fell at the first hurdle, losing in seven to Suh after the lowest ranked player's surprise passage through the groups.

The semi-finals and final will be played tomorrow.