5th AIBA Women's World Championships Ningbo City 2008 official page

Hungary's Anita Ducza became the second-most successful world championship boxer still in the competition after guaranteeing herself a fourth world championship medal with a 4:2 75kg quarterfinal win over Croatia's Nikolina Orlovic on Day 4 of the AIBA Women's World Championships Ningbo City 2008 on Tuesday, a day when three weight classes confirmed their semifinalists.

Pic: Romania's Denisa Amza lands a successful punch against Ngan Hang le Thi in their 52kg preliminary bout. le Thi went on to win the contest after Amza retired in the second round.

Ducza, 29, has collected world championship bronze in 2006 and 2005, and a silver medal in 2001 and her victory over the Croatian national champion, one day after her compatriot and two-times world champion and two-times runner-up Mária Kovács was knocked out of the 80kg draw, ensures that she will be the second-most successful boxer at the world championships. Three-times world champion and 2001 silver medallist Mary Kom (IND) has her quarterfinal on Wednesday.

Adding a gold to Ducza's medal collection will be a very impressive feat, especially considering that the 12-times Hungarian national champion will now face a two-times world champion in Sweden's Anna Laurell in Thursday's semifinals, after the three-times European champion beat Chimere Taylor of Trinidad 10:2. The other 75kg semifinal sees the oldest boxer in the tournament, Canadian 34-year-old Amber Konikow, who beat Pan American Games bronze medallist Meredith Giustian (USA) 9:2, take on the Asian champion and 2006 World Championship silver medallist Li Jin Zi, who beat Romania's Liminta Turcin 10:2.
 
Meanwhile, the 66kg and 70kg classes also confirmed their semifinalists with 2005 66kg world champion and four-times Pan American champion Mary Spencer of Canada beating European champion Irina Poteyeva of Russia 8:6, while Asian champion Suk Yong Ri (PRK) beat World Championship silver and bronze medallist Oleksandra Kozlan of the Ukraine 10:3. On the other side of the draw, China's national champion Wang Qian beat Dariga Shakimova (KAZ) 10:4 while Amercian number one Vanessa Nicol Jackson beat Australia's Naomi-Lee Fischer-Rasmussen 11:5.

Pic: World champion Laishram Sarita (red) from India beat two-times World Championship bronze medallist Samiha Hassan from Egypt

The 70kg division saw Turkey's two-times World Championships bronze medallist Nurcan Carkci beat Liliya Durnyeva of the Ukraine 10:6 in the first quarterfinal followed by defending world champion Arianne Fortin (CAN) winning against Elena Vystropova (RUS) 13:3. The other semifinal will feature China's Yang Ting Ting, who repeated her Asian Championship victory over Un Hui Jang (PRK), and Kazakhstan's Yelena Koltsova, who beat Debbie Bkaore (PNG) 17:8.

Meanwhile, Annie Albania, 26, made an impressive debut for the Philippines in the 52kg preliminaries, having earlier received a bye, after beating the Pan American champion and five-times USA champion Sacred Downing 18:0.

"It was quite amazing, I felt in full control," Albania, who is coached by Roel Velasco - a 1996 Olympic bronze medallist and 1997 World Championship silver medallist in the 48kg division, said. "I'm in good condition thanks to my trainer and my defence and speed was very good today, now I'm looking forward to tomorrow where I'll face North Korea's Song Hye Tong (Asian Championships bronze medallist)."

In other results, 60kg world champion Katie Taylor survived a scare but maintained her unbeaten record in 2008 when she was held at 3:3 with a minute to run against Danusa Dilhofova (CZE) before scoring the winning point with 20 seconds left on the clock.

"I thought I was well up but one point or 20 points I'll take the win," the three-times European champion said. "I'm going to forget about this bout now and just prepare for my quarterfinal like any other bout."

Pic: Taipei's Ching-Ya Chiu faces the cameras after beating Sweden's Shipra Nilsson 6:5

While 52kg world champion Laishram Sarita (IND) comfortable advanced by beating tow-times World Championship bronze medallist Samiha Hassan of Egypt 12:5.

 Day five of the AIBA Women's World Championships Ningbo City 2008 will see quarterfinals across nine of the 13 weight classes on Wednesday starting at 14:00 (local time).