Badminton: New Zealand pair bow out

12.55am

ATHENS - New Zealand mixed doubles pair Daniel Shirley and Sara Runesten Petersen bowed out of the Olympic Games today, beaten 14-15 9-15 by Denmark.

New Zealand had high hopes of downing the seventh seeded Danes in the second round match in Athens, and troubled them until falling to a meek finish.

After fighting back to square the second game 9-9, the unseeded New Zealanders let the Danes rattle off six unanswered points for victory.

Runesten Petersen, who was born in Denmark, felt she and Shirley had been in with a chance of an upset in the 42-minute battle.

"It just got a bit quick in the end," she told NZPA.

A dejected Shirley said the Danes played well toward the end.

"They worked us out quite well, they put us under pressure, we didn't really have an answer in the end," Shirley said.

Earlier Danes waved the silver fern flag when Shirley and Petersen cruised to their first-round victory against Canada.

Among the small crowd were the parents and brother of Runesten Petersen, who was born in Denmark.Runesten Petersen, 30, was in top form at the net, her deft flicks, pushes and smashes never allowing the Canadians to settle.

"We got on attack from the beginning," she said. "We didn't really give them a chance to go on attack, and we tried to turn it as soon as possible."

Their win on Saturday bought the pair a second-round fight overnight with Runesten Petersen's homeland in the shape of seventh-seeded Danish pair Jonas Rasmussen and Rikke Olsen.

"We've played better," Runesten Petersen said. "The pressure's on them and we can just play our game."

Shirley, 25, said the venue had proved tricky.

Air conditioning turned up to relieve the oppressive Athens heat had created winds that affected the shuttlecock. He had found it difficult to get the right height and weight on his shots.

He was surprised with the amount of nervous tension among the players, who seemed intent on not losing, rather than on winning.

"There were heaps of upsets," he said. "As soon as we came to the hall there was tension from everyone. They were nervous and on the court everyone was trying not to make a mistake."

Runesten Petersen and Shirley have been partners since the 2001 world championships in Seville and won bronze at the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

- NZPA