Badminton

[mykfin]

British duo reach badminton final

Birmingham results
Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson beat Thailand's Saralee Thungthongkam and Sudket Prapakamol to reach badminton's All England mixed doubles final.
The British pair won 15-12 15-4 to set up a meeting with Danish duo Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena.

"The noise was brilliant," said Emms, who won silver along with Roberston at the Athens Olympics.

China will fill seven of Sunday's 10 badminton finals berths.

Defending champion and world number one Lin Dan secured his place in the men's singles final with a 15-8 12-15 15-1 victory over Wong Choong Hann of Thailand.

He will meet 2002 champion and 2003 runner-up Chen Hong, who beat seventh-seeded Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia 15-13 15-10.

Women's world and Olympic champion Zhang Ning beat Japanese star Eriko Hirose 11-4 9-11 11-1 to book her place in the women's singles final along with third-seed Xie Xingfang, who defeated Mia Audina Tjiptawan of the Netherlands, 11-8 11-5.

[mykfin]

British duo claim badminton title

Birmingham results
Britain's Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson added the All England mixed doubles title to their Olympic silver medal with victory in Birmingham.
The pair defeated Danish duo Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl 15-10 15-12 at the National Indoor Arena.

"I know if we had lost we would have thrown away a fantastic chance. But I knew even if it had gone to three games we would have won," said Robertson.

"It's all so surreal. I just can't believe it," added Emms.

Robertson looked ahead to the pair's future plans and Olympic goal.

"This is the biggest we can ever win outside the World Championships and hopefully it will help England to develop the sport," he added.

There's still an Olympic gold medal to be won

Nathan Robertson

"I would like every person who has come here to copy us and take up badminton. It would make the sport here so much stronger.

"But our next goal is the World Championships and to regain our world number one spot - and then there's still an Olympic gold medal to be won in three years."

Meanwhile, defending champion and world number one Lin Dan suffered a suprise defeat in the men's singles against Chen Hong.

The top seed gained the early ascendancy but was beaten 8-15 15-5 15-1 by Chen, seeded four.

The women's singles final also went against seeding, with number one Zhang Ning beaten comfortably 11-3 11-9 by third seed Xi Xingfang.

Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng, seeded three, won the men's doubles, beating fourth seeds Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen of Denmark 15-10 15-6.

In the women's doubles, third seeds Gao Ling and Huang Sui beat fellow Chinese pair and second seeds Wei Yili and Zhao Tingting 15-10 15-13