Kiwis Find Going Tough at Badminton World Championships   26 Aug 2014

A 7-strong Kiwi contingent found the going tough at the BWF Badminton World Championships in Denmark overnight, losing all their scheduled first round matches leaving just Oliver Leydon-Davis and Kevin Dennerly-Minturn flying the flag in the men’s doubles tonight (NZT).

After a Commonwealth Games that delivered a number of quarter final appearances the largely young New Zealand group struck a higher class of opposition in Denmark. Anna Rankin was up first in singles, beaten by world number 44 Natalia Perminova (RUS) but in the process pushed her higher ranked opponent in two competitive games.

It was a similar story for Joe Wu, who had returned to Europe after helping Waitakere to the Wisden Cup last week. The 28 year old will be disappointed in bowing out in two competitive games against Erik Meijs (NED) with the two players separated by just one place on the world rankings (116/117).

Michelle Chan (Auckland) was in the same ‘competitive’ summary, pushing world number 35 Jing Yi Tee to 19-21 in the second game and in the process giving her Malaysian opponent a thorough work out but eventually having to concede defeat.

Oliver Leydon-Davis and younger sister Susannah then took the court against Vitalij Durkin and Nina Vislova (RUS) in the mixed doubles. The 30th ranked Russians were always going to be a handful for the promising but still inexperienced New Zealanders and proved too strong, winning through with the Kiwis again putting up a great fight in losing 15-21, 17-21.

Rankin then returned to the court to partner Madeleine Stapleton in the women’s doubles but the New Zealanders were no match for another Russian opponent, beaten 7 and 7.

Oliver Leydon-Davis and Kevin Dennerly-Minturn play in the early hours of Wednesday morning NZT, against a Singapore pairing who again are ranked higher than the Kiwis (32 compared to 54). Dennerly-Minturn will be especially keen on a strong performance after illness disrupted his Glasgow opportunities.

For results and draws for the BWF World Championships, CLICK HERE

BWF World Badminton Championships
Denmark
First round results
WS: Natalia Perminova RUS def Anna Rankin NZL 21-12, 21-14; Jing Yi Tee MAS def Michelle Chan NZL 21-14, 21-19
MS: Erik Meijs NED def Joe Wu NZL 21-16, 21-13
XD: Vitalij Durkin & Nina Vislova RUS def Oliver Leydon-Davis & Susannah Leydon-Davis 21-15, 21-17
WD: Irina Khlebko & Ksenia Polikarpova RUS def Anna Rankin and Madeleine Stapleton NZL 21-7, 21-7

ENDS

Add a comment