Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi had won the event for the past two years but hopes of a third in a row were ended following a gutsy performance from Marín who triumphed 23-21, 21-13 at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen.

The match hinged on a 31-minute opening game that could have gone either way in a thrilling semi-final encounter.

Yamaguchi had the upper-hand as she led 17-13 before Marín roared her way back to draw level at 18-18.

The Japanese second seed had an opportunity to take the first game at 20-19 only for Marín to deny her.

Marín missed one game-point chance before taking the next after Yamaguchi went long.

It proved pivotal as Marín, the Rio 2016 Olympic champion, started to pull clear of her Japanese opponent.

Marín sealed victory in 53 minutes as she aims to be crowned world champion again after triumphing in 2014, 2015 and 2018.

The 30-year-old will now face the challenge of South Korea’s top seed An Se-young who is looking to win her first world title.

An defeated reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei of China 21-19, 21-15.

The opening game was also key to the outcome as Chen drew level at 16-16 before An reeled off three successive points.

An responded to whatever Chen could throw at her as she took the first game before maintaining her form in the second.

The two were locked at 11-11 in the second game before An found another gear and claimed the win following a misjudgement from Chen who allowed the shuttle to drop in at the back of the court.

Home hopes of a Danish winner of the men’s singles crown are over following Anders Antonsen’s 25-23, 21-12 defeat to Japan’s Kodai Naraoka.

Anderson got off to a fine start as he led 5-1 and appeared to be revelling in the atmosphere as the home fans threw their support behind him.

He moved 17-11 in front, but Naraoka managed to claw his way back and create a tense end to the first game.

Naraoka went ahead for the first time at 20-19 before Antonsen saved the game point.

Antonsen thought he had taken the opening game when Naraoka pushed a shot to the back of the court.

But hawkeye showed that the shuttle had just clipped the back edge of the line as Naraoka levelled at 23-23.

Naraoka staved off two game points before clinching it after 43 minutes of pulsating action.

The Danish fans tried to inspire Antonsen, but Naraoka was on another level in the second game as he powered to victory.

Naraoka secured a showdown with Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn who sealed his place in back-to-back men’s singles finals following a 18-21, 21-13, 21-14 victory over India’s HS Prannoy.

Vitidsarn faced a mountain to climb when Prannoy went a game and 5-1 up but he responded to the challenge.

Prannoy, who stunned home favourite Viktor Axelsen in yesterday’s quarter-finals, got off to a superb start but was unable to convert his opportunity as Vitidsarn pulled off a brilliant fightback.

As Prannoy’s game crumbled, Vitidsarn seized his opportunity and dominated the deciding game to seal his place in the final.

Competition is due to conclude tomorrow.