Badminton: Selectors get cause to smile

By JULIE ASH

The national badminton selectors will be smiling after the performance of New Zealand's top players at the North Harbour International at the weekend.

The tournament, which included a strong contingent from Australia and South Africa, was the players' second to last chance to impress selectors before the Commonwealth Games team is announced next Thursday.

In the men's singles, Nick Hall defeated team-mate and long-time rival Geoff Bellingham 6-8, 7-4, 7-4, 7-4.

Daniel Shirley and John Gordon won the men's doubles and Shirley and Sara Runesten-Petersen won the mixed doubles.

The one upset of the tournament came in the women's doubles, in which New Zealand top seeds Rhona Robertson and Tammy Jenkins lost to Sara Runesten-Petersen and Nicola Gordon.

The only title New Zealand did not win was the women's singles, which went to Australian Lenny Permana.

The New Zealand squad left for Fiji last night to compete in the Oceania championships.