World number one Guusje STEENHUIS (NED) closed in on her first World Championships medal by winning all three of her preliminary contests to clinch pool A.
European champion Madeleine MALONGA (FRA) was upset by MA Zhenzhao (CHN) in the quarter-final in pool B. The French starlet lost by ippon and will be in repechage action in the final block.
World bronze medallist Natalie POWELL (GBR) was caught by Klara APOTEKAR (SLO) with a neat sumi-gaeshi for ippon in pool C. World Championships debutant HAMADA Shori (JPN) then overpowered APOTEKAR by ippon to advance to the last four.
Double Olympic medallist and former world champion Audrey TCHEUMEO (FRA) was eliminated in round three by Aleksandra BABINTSEVA (RUS) in arguably the biggest shock of the opening session on day six. Former world champion Marhinde VERKERK (below - blue judogi) from the Netherkands then beat the Russian by ippon for a semi-final spot.
Semi-Finals MA, Zhenzhao (CHN) v STEENHUIS, Guusje (NED) VERKERK, Marhinde (NED) v HAMADA, Shori (JPN)
MEN -100kg:
Olympic and world silver medallist Varlam LIPARTELIANI (GEO) strolled through the preliminaries to claim pool A. The Georgian was the top seed but still had to overcome a tricky draw to take his place in the last four. Alexandre IDDIR (FRA) fell to a waza-ari score while Elmar GASIMOV (AZE) and Ramadan DARWISH (EGY) were both dismissed by ippon.
Powerhouse Jorge FONSECA (POR) was the top seed in pool B and reached the quarter-final where he was usurped by LKHAGVASUREN Otgonbaatar (MGL) by ippon.
Paris Grand Slam winner Michael KORREL (NED) led pool C in the draw but met his match in the last eight as CHO Guham (KOR) defeated the Dutchman by a waza-ari score.
World champion WOLF Aaron (JPN) impressed in the early rounds with his uchi-mata and some opportunistic shime-waza. The world number 17 was unseeded and was dethroned by Niyaz ILYASOV (RUS) who won their quarter-final by ippon from a ko-soto-gake.
Semi-Finals LKHAGVASUREN, Otgonbaatar (MGL) v LIPARTELIANI, Varlam (GEO) ILYASOV, Niyaz (RUS) v CHO, Guham (KOR)