Badminton: Surge in world rankings boosts local hopes

Rebecca Bellingham, practising yesterday in Auckland, is among New Zealand's most successful badminton players. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Rebecca Bellingham wants to take advantage of her fine effort at the world championships when the New Zealand Open starts in Auckland today.

The 27-year-old teacher is certain to have bumped up her world singles ranking from No 35 after reaching the final 16 in Los Angeles last week.

It is believed to be the best singles effort by a New Zealander and, with her eye on March's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, has given her renewed belief in her ability.

"It was definitely my best result, but I still think I'm capable of playing better," Bellingham said yesterday.

"I had a couple of bad tournaments leading up to the worlds so my confidence was a little low.

"Now I know I have a shot of doing all right at the Commonwealth Games. I took a lot of confidence out of knowing that I can be competitive with those players."

New Zealand badminton is on a high, with their continued dominance over Australia, plus Bellingham's world championship effort sitting alongside the outstanding bronze medal-winning performance of mixed doubles pair Dan Shirley and Sara Runesten-Petersen.

They are New Zealand's first world championship medallists, and gave the sport a big fillip ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

"I think New Zealand is looking really good," Bellingham said. "The main benefit is a lot of people have gone full time and put work or study on hold to work towards the Commonwealth Games. The fact we can travel so much this year and are playing more international tournaments than we've ever played can only help and improve us."

Bellingham works as a day relief teacher at Macleans College at Bucklands Beach while her sights are set on Melbourne.

The open has one star status on the world grand prix circuit for the first time and US$30,000 ($43,000) in prize money. Bellingham is seeded fourth, one seeding behind fellow Kiwi Rachel Hindley, who is world No 32. Shirley and Runesten-Petersen are top seeds in the mixed doubles. When the next list of world rankings are released, they are certain to be inside single figures, from their present No 16 spot.