Kiwis Take One Title At Waikato Badminton Internatonal - Brief & Results
Monday 8 September 2008, 5:00AM
By Badminton New Zealand
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New Zealand players managed one title from the three they were contesting at Sunday’s Waikato Badminton International finals in Hamilton as Henry Tam and Donna Haliday scored a solid victory in the mixed final.
Kiwis weren’t so lucky in the men’s doubles or the women’s doubles as players from Japan and India dominated preceedings.
The men’s singles final was an all-Indian affair with top seed Ajay Jayaram defeating Prakash Jolly in straight games. The bets of the New Zealand men was Joe Wu who lost to Jolly in the semis.
In the women’s final Ayaka Takahashi of Japan beat countrywoman Sayaka Sato in just under an hour for the title.
The men’s doubles featured Olympian Craig Cooper teaming up with Wu, however they lost the final to the Japanese pair of Rei Sato and Naomasa Senkyo in straight games. Earlier Cooper and Wu had beaten the teenage New Zealand team of James Eunson(Southland) and Ethan Haggo Waitakere in the semis. Fellow Kiwis Tam and Kevin Dennerly-Minturn lost in the other semifinal.
Olympian Renee Flavell and Rachel Hindley reached the women’s doubles final before going down to a Japanese combination. In the semis the beat Auckland pair Michelle Chan and Clare Chapple while another Auckland team, Haliday and Emma Rodgers reached the other semi.
The mixed win by Tam and Haliday was a solid effort over Senkyo and Misaki Matsutomo 21-13 21-18 and stands them in good stead for future play in New Zealand representative teams. Dennerly-Minturn and Rodgers made the last four of the mixed.
New Zealand play Australia in a best of three match series next week in the under 19 age group for the title of Pan Pacific Champions 2008
The first tie is Monday at Counties Manukau commencing 6pm, the next tie is Tuesday at Northland (Whangarei) commencing 5.30pm with the third and final tie at North Harbour on Wednesday commencing 6pm.
The North Harbour International starts this Thursday 11 September with a draw which includes world No72 and Olympic rep, John Moody.
Results: New Zealand unless listed.
Men’s Singles semifinals:
Ajay Jayaram(India) bt Alistair Casey(Scotland) 21-13 21-19, Prakash Jolly(India) bt Joe Wu 21-14 21-13.
Final:
Jayaram bt Jolly 21-11 21-14
Women’s singles semifinals:
Sayaka Sato(Japan) bt Chie Umezu(Japan) 15-21 21-15 21-11, Ayaka Takahashi(Japan) bt Neha Pandit(India) 21-13 21-10,
Final:
Takahashi bt Sato 21-11 17-21 28-26
Men’s doubles semifinals:
Craig Cooper/Wu bt James Eunson/Ethan Haggo 21-9 21-12, Rei Sato/Naomasa Senkyo(Japan) bt Kevin Dennerly-Minturn/Henry Tam 21-16 21-8.
Final:
Sato/Senkyo bt Cooper/Wu 21-16 21-15
Women’s doubles semifinals:
Takahashi/Koharu Yonemoto(Japan) bt Donna Haliday/Emma Rodgers 21-12 21-14, Renee Flavell/Rachel Hindley bt Michelle Chan/Clare Chapple 21-10 21-9.
Final:
Takahashi/Yonemoto bt Flavell/Hindley 21-18 21-19
Mixed semifinals:
Tam/Haliday bt Shu Wada/Yonemoto(Japan) 19-21 21-19 21-17, Senkyo/Misaki Matsutomo bt Dennerly-Minturn/Rodgers 21-15 21-12,
Final:
Tam/Haliday bt Senkyo/Matsutomo 21-13 21-18