Badminton: Top wins to Gordons on way to medal round

The New Zealand team enjoyed a successful day's competition at the Bolton Arena yesterday, suffering just one casualty in a dozen matches as the squad edge towards the medal rounds of the individual competition.

Single's player Nicole Gordon provided the individual highlight, recording one of the best wins of her career in downing Malaysian No 1 Pei Ty Wong 7-4, 7-3, 7-3 in her first-round match to proceed to the last 16.

Gordon's sister, Rebecca, was on course to join her sibling after beating Dionne Forde, of Barbados, 7-2, 7-2, 7-0, but was later eliminated by Canadian Kara Solmundson in straight sets, 3-7, 5-7, 5-7, the only blemish on New Zealand's record.

John Gordon, the 15th seed, won both his games to make the last 16 of the men's singles, defeating Jamaican Graham Bradley 7-1, 6-7, 7-1, 7-1 and highly regarded Pakistani Ali Wajid 6-8, 7-5, 7-1, 7-1.

His reward is a tough match-up with No 1 seed Choong Hann Wong today.

"John is theoretically a doubles player, so he's done well to get this far," team manager Grant Stone said.

Sixth-seed Nick Hall also won both his games to join Gordon in the next round, eliminating Dennis Constantin, of Mauritius, 7-5, 7-2, 7-2, and Scot Bruce Flockhart 7-0, 7-3, 8-7.

New Zealand's top-ranked singles player, Geoff Bellingham, also eased into the last 16, wasting little time disposing of Nicholas Jumaye, of the Seychelles, 7-2, 7-0, 7-4, before brushing aside Jannik Jonsson, from the Isle of Man, 7-0, 7-1, 7-1.

The top mixed doubles combination of Daniel Shirley and Sara Runesten Petersen drubbed Maldives duo Naseer Abdulla Ali and Shaeen Rasheed 7-1, 7-0, 7-0 to make the last 16.

They were joined by team-mates Chris Blair and Tammy Jenkins, who proved too strong for Jamaicans Charles Pyne and Nigella Saunders 7-4, 7-0, 7-1.

The duo earlier beat Australians Stuart Brehaut and Lenny Permana 7-3, 7-3, 7-1.

Stone said: "It's been one of the best days we've ever had, but it gets tougher tomorrow."

- NZPA

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