BEIJING, August 20, 2008 (AFP) - Thai flyweight Somjit Jongjohor confidently said he was '80 percent' sure of reaching the Olympic final after breezing into the last four on Wednesday.

Somjit won a one-sided flyweight bout against Tajikistan's Anvar Yunusov 8-1 to collect his first Olympic medal after a career that includes world amateur champion and the Asian Games title.

He will now face Italy's Vincenzo Picardi, whom he beat in the semi-finals of last year's world championships, for a shot at the gold medal.

'The next fight is no problem. I beat him before in the semi-finals at Chicago,' Somjitr said.

'I have a strong will to win the gold medal because it's the only medal I've never won. I've won the Asian Games and the World Championship but never the Olympic Games.'

Somjit, 33, who is to retire after the Olympics and become a coach, said he heeded stern words of advice from his wife and mother.

'Before the match my wife told me not to underestimate him (Yunusov) and try my best. My mother said the same thing,' he said.

Unusually, Italian coach Francesco Damiani also tipped the Thai to win gold.

'He'll be the Olympic champion,' Damiani said. 'He's very quick and very strong. He's a big champion.'