Badminton: Doubles combinations assure NZ team of bronze

BOLTON - Brilliant teamwork by the New Zealand badminton doubles combinations in the mixed team event allowed them to beat India 3-2 today and progress to the semifinals where they are assured of at least a bronze medal.

They play Singapore tomorrow in the Bolton Arena for a spot in the gold-silver playoff.

The India rubber was tied 2-2 after New Zealand had won the mixed and men's doubles but lost the two singles matches and all rested on the women's pair of Rhona Robertson and Tammy Jenkins.

That match against Gutta Jwala and Shruti S Kurian was also tied at two games all and it came down to a tense last set.

India broke away to a 3-0 lead but the experienced New Zealand pair handled the pressure better, supported by a vocal crowd of New Zealand supporters. They won the set 7-4 to end with a 7-1 4-7 7-1 1-7 7-4 score.

"We just had to string it out to get the crowd involved," Jenkins quipped after the match.

While there were jubilant scenes from the team and New Zealanders in the crowd, Jenkins said they had to bring themselves down mentally for the semifinal tomorrow.

"We've had bronze before and we want to all the way this time," she said.

Coach Graeme Robson said the way the last set started he was worried. But he said the pairing had been there so many times before he believed they would prevail.

The men's doubles in the game before the women's pair was equally enthralling and tight.

The men's double's combination of John Gordon and Daniel Shirley had a brilliant 7-1 7-3 1-7 3-6 7-0 win over Diju Valiyaveetil and Puellela Gopi Chand, the former all England and world champion.

India, who like the New Zealanders had whitewashed their previous three opponents 5-0, had had high hopes for a gold medal, largely based on Gopi Chand's strength. However, he was recovering from an operation on his shoulder and only came to Manchester on the urging of India's minister of sport.

The Kiwi doubles pair used their left hand, right hand combination to advantage and their superior overhead play let them race to a 2-0 lead.

But the Indian pair managed to slow the game down, allowing Gopi Chand's subtle short play to flourish. In the deciding fifth game the Kiwi's got back into their smashing game, concentrating on the weaker Valiyaveetil to close out the match convincingly.

The mixed doubles pairing Sara Runesten Petersen and Daniel Shirley got New Zealand off to a fine start with a clear-cut 7-4 7-4 7-2 victory over Thomas Sanave and Jwala.

However, Gopi Chand made short work of Kuala Lumpur bronze medallist Nick Hall. Hall tried to move Gopi Chand around the court, but the much smaller Indian player seemed to have any amount of time to play his shots. Hall lost 4-7 2-7 1-7.

That loss was immediately followed by an even more comprehensive loss by Rebecca Gordon to Aparna Popat. While Hall was beaten in 28 minutes, Gordon's game was all over in just 11 minutes.

The lanky Gordon barely seemed to have warmed up before the game was over, 0-7 1-7 0-7. Popat showed amazing deftness with the drop shot for which Gordon had no answer. She failed to win over the service in the first game and did little better in the next two.

- NZPA


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