Badminton: Clean sweep pointer for Whyte Trophy

New Zealand players scored a clean sweep of the five titles at the North Harbour Badminton International setting themselves up for the Whyte Trophy series against Australia.

The result means the Kiwis go into the Whyte Trophy as favourites for the first match on Tuesday at North Harbour. The second test is on Thursday in Hamilton and the third in Invercargill on Sunday.

The North Harbour tournament was also a triumph for the Bellingham family.

Geoff won the men's singles and then the doubles with fellow Whyte Trophy team member Craig Cooper.

Geoff's wife, Rebecca (nee Gordon), won the women's singles and was a beaten finalist in the women's doubles, losing to her sister Nicole Gordon and North Harbour's Sara Runesten Petersen, the Commonwealth Games sliver medallists, in three sets.

Geoff Bellingham, the fifth seed and ranked 58 in the world, beat New Zealand No 2 and world No 49 John Moody 15-12, 15-11 in the singles after staging comebacks in both sets.

Rebecca Bellingham, ranked 27, won her final over second seed, Miyo Akao (28) of Japan, in straight games.

The men's doubles final was a boost for the Kiwi Whyte Trophy team as Bellingham and Cooper, the home team's second combination, beat the Australian top team, Boyd Cooper and Travis Denney, in straight games.

The only final the Bellinghams weren't involved in was the mixed doubles, where former world top 10 combination Dan Shirley and Runesten Petersen defeated second seeds and New Zealand team members Craig Cooper and Lianne Shirley in straight games.