(L-R) Delloreen Ennis-London of Jamaica, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep of Canada and Cindy Billaud of France compete in the women's 100m hurdles semi-final in Berlin (© Getty Images)
If picking a winner prior to the competition was a precarious task, then the semi-finals may have solidified matters a little.
The fastest qualifier was Olympic champion Dawn Harper, who produced the fastest ever 100m hurdles semi-final in World Championship history in a new personal best of 12.48 to offer more than a firm nudge that she will be the woman to beat in the final later tonight.
In the third and final semi-final the US athlete got away to an even break and was level with the three other women in the middle lanes - Lacena Golding-Clarke of Jamaica, Ireland's former World Indoor 60m champion Derval O'Rourke and Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan of Australia - at the first hurdle.
Yet Harper quickly powered to the front of the field and smoothly negotiated the ten flights to shave 0.05 from her personal best. Take that!
Behind her McLellan kept her composure to take second spot in 12.66 with O'Rourke taking one of the fast loser places in 12.73. Golding-Clarke placed fourth in 12.76, but failed to advance.
Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep shaded a tight first semi-final in 12.60 by 0.04 from the 2007 World bronze medallist Delloreen Ennis-London of Jamaica as both earned safe passage into the final.
American Virginia Powell was made to sweat but also also secured one of the fast loser spots. Luice Skrobakova, of the Czech Republic, was fourth in 12.92.
Lopes-Schliep made her tradmark lightning start and the Canadian led at the first hurdle, although Powell and Ennis-London were in close contention. Powell surged into a slight lead at halfway before the 'big two' - Lopes-Schliep and Ennis-London - pulled clear over the final four hurdles to successfully complete their semi-final examination.
Ennis-London's compatriot Brigitte Foster-Hylton revealed her hand as a potential podium filler by blitzing to a season's best 12.54 in the second semi. Just 0.04 behind was Canada's 2003 World Champion Perdita Felicien, who also bagged a place in the final eight.
Damu Cherry, the Golden League winner in this stadium in June, however, was well short of her best and the US athlete exited the competition - third in 12.76. Cuba's Anay Tejeda took fourth in 12.82.
Felicien was the first to rise at the first hurdle with Foster-Hylton in close order.
Cherry was struggling desperately to find her usual zip and quickly lost ground on the lead two. By halfway Felicien had a one metre lead on the Jamaican, although Foster-Hylton produced a storming second half the race to take the heat win.
Roll on the final.
Steve Landells for the IAAF
