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Katie Taylor: "I was praying"

Ireland's Katie Taylor didn't believe that she had beaten semi-final opponent Azerbaijan's Yana Alekseevna during their middleweight bout.

Ireland's lightweight boxer Kate Taylor did not believe that she had won in her semi-final fight against home participant Yana Alekseevna.

Taylor, 28, beat the Azerbaijani by a split points decision earlier today.

"It was a close fight," Taylor told reporters after the fight. "It was always going to be. She's a top boxer. It was close, but I don't care. I'm through to the finals. I know I was down after three rounds so I had to go out and put the pressure on and try to win the round clearly.

"When I saw [the Azerbaijan corner] celebrating at the end I thought 'I can't believe it.' I was just praying for them to change the decision. I always go into a fight thinking the judges are going to be fair. I love these kind of fights. I cherish them."

Taylor will now face Frenchwoman Estelle Mossely, 22, tomorrow.

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Calum Gillon
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Katie Taylor of Ireland celebrates defeating Sofya Ochigava of Russia to win gold during the women's boxing Lightweight final of the 2012 London Olympic Games at the ExCel Arena August 9, 2012
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