The Italian defeated grand winner Sandra Sanchez of Spain 3-2 via split decision at the Asli Cakir Sports Hall, to reach her first Premier League final in more than a year.

It meant Bottaro avenged her defeat to Sanchez in the European Championship final a month ago.

"I am very happy because I had the chance to fight and to defeat some of the biggest karatekas in the world," Bottaro said.

"In fact, I had just lost to Sandra Sanchez in the European Championships, and at the beginning it was difficult for me to concentrate after my defeat in Serbia one month ago. 

"I think that in the end it was good because it helped me grow and now you can see that the hard work and all the preparations that I did paid off. 

"I will give my best in the final and I hope that I can win."

Bottaro will meet Japan's Kiyou Shimizu in the kata final after the double world champion ousted compatriot Emiri Iwamoto 5-0 in the last four.

Other strong performers today included Turkey's home hopeful Eray Samdan who booked an under-60 kilograms kumite final with Iran's Amir Mehdizadeh after winning all three of his bouts.

"I want to be grand winner, I want to win the right to wear the golden karate-gi next year, so I am very happy that I got to qualify for my third final of Karate 1-Premier League, after winning in Dubai and Rotterdam," said Samdan.

Italian Sara Cardin, the Premier League winner in Dubai, battled into the under-55kg final where she will meet Chinese Taipei's Tzu-Yun Wen.

Ukraine's reigning grand winner Stanislav Horuna progressed to the men's under-75kg gold medal bout and will meet Bahman Asgari Ghoncheh of Iran.

Clashes between newcomers Bakhrinisio Babaeva of Uzbekistan and Shiau-Shuang Gi of Chinese Taipei, in the women's kumite under-50kg, and Iran's Seyedali Karimi and Japan's Hiroto Gomyo in the men's under-67kg, complete the list of finals booked today.

Competition continues until Sunday (June 10).