Badminton: New Zealand convincingly retain transtasman trophy

By JULIE ASH

New Zealand retained the Whyte Trophy with an emphatic win over transtasman rivals Australia last night.

The New Zealanders sealed the series win in Waitakere to claim the trophy for the third consecutive time, after having won the opening contest of the three-match series in Wellington last weekend.

National coach Graeme Robson was delighted to secure the series win in the second of the tests.

"We'd like to make it 3-nil, but I'm sure the Aussies would like to get one back," he said.

Former New Zealand international Robson said both teams came out a lot stronger last night than in the opening test.

"The first test is always a tricky one, but I think both teams played a lot better tonight."

New Zealand got off to the best possible start last night, blitzing Australia 3-0 in the mixed doubles.

The Australian combination of Travis Denny and Kate Wilson-Smith were no match for Daniel Shirley and Sara Runesten Petersen, who won convincingly 7-4 7-4 7-2. It was a repeat of their straight-set victory in Wellington.

Runesten Petersen said the Australians had come out firing.

"They played a lot different to the first test. They played a softer game, and more to the net. But it is always good to have a good start by winning the mixed doubles," she said.

The men's singles clash between Waitakere's New Zealand No 1 Geoff Bellingham and Stuart Brehaut was a lot closer.

Down 1-5 in the first set, Bellingham came back to win 7-5. He took the second set 7-3 before Brehaut pulled one back 7-4. The fourth set was a cliffhanger, with Bellingham prevailing 8-6.

In the women's singles, Robson opted to play Rebecca Gordon against Lenny Permana, who had beaten Kiwi No 1 Rhona Robertson in the first test.

But the change of personnel made no difference to the outcome.

Permana took the first two sets 7-3 8-6, dropped the third 3-7 but kept Australia alive in the rubber by winning the fourth 7-5.

Any hopes Australia had of clinging on to force a deciding test were dashed in the next match.

In the women's doubles, Robertson and Tammy Jenkins easily beat Rhonda Cator and Wilson-Smith in the first two sets 7-3 7-1.

However, they dropped the third 5-7, before New Zealand sealed the series 7-2 in the fourth.

In the men's doubles, by which stage the tie was dead, Shirley and Chris Blair made the margin more emphatic by beating Denny and Ashley Brehaut 7-2 7-3 3-7 7-2.

The final test is in Epsom on Thursday night, at 6.30pm.