Kiwi Team Starts Pan Pacific Competition Well

The New Zealand under 19 badminton team had the best possible start to the Lion Foundation Pan Pacific Series at the North Harbour Badminton Centre Tuesday evening with a 6-2 win over the Singapore Sports School.

New Zealand hasn’t won the tournament since 2005, however their play suggested they could challenge for the title this year with Waitakere’s Luke Charlesworth winning in the top singles spot over Gerald Ong in three games while Auckland’s Victoria Cheng the top Kiwi woman beat Fiona Seah, also in three games.

In the other match Australia defeated the New Zealand Associations team 7-3, but not before having to battle in a number of matches. Five of the Australians wins came in three games.

Each tie in the Pan Pacific Championships consists of 11 matches overall; three men’s singles, three women’s singles, one men’s and women’s doubles and three mixed contests.

In Wednesdays matches New Zealand play the New Zealand Associations side and while Australia take on the Singapore Schools from 6pm all at North Harbour.

The Pan Pacific competition runs until Thursday 17 June and is followed by the Westpac New Zealand Junior International which all players from the Pan Pacific Series are playing in as well as a number of other New Zealand under19 players. Play starts in this event at 12 noon on Friday 18th Jun, 10am Saturday 19th with semi-finals at 5pm, finals commence 10am Sunday 20th.

Pan Pacific under 19 Badminton Series, North Harbour

Results:

New Zealand bt Singapore Sports School 6-2

(New Zealand names first)

Men’s singles: Luke Charlesworth bt Gerald Ong 17-21 21-18 21-17,

Men’s singles: Asher Richardson lt Terry Hee 21-15 14-21 15-21,

Men’s singles: Samuel Ho bt Sean Lee 21-8 25-27 21-19,

Women’s singles: Victoria Cheng bt Fiona Seah 21-8 14-21 21-13,

Women’s singles: Melissa Yin bt Hui Min Cheong 21-18 19-21 21-19,

Women’s singles: Poh Lin Teo bt Rui Ying Cheng 21-12 21-13

Men’s doubles: Charlesworth/Evan Lee lt Hee/Ong 12-21 21-23

Women’s doubles: Mary O’Connor/Madeline Stapleton bt Seah/Ling Chua 17-21 22-20 21-19

Australia bt New Zealand Associations 7-3

(Australian names first)

Men’s singles: Jeff Beundia bt Te Ao Kura Ormsby Van Selm 11-21 22-20 21-17,

Men’s singles: Brendan Tien bt Maika Phillips 21-12 12-21 21-8,

Men’s singles: Hu-Wen Chew bt Zheran Li 21-11 21-13,

Women’s singles: Louisa Ma bt Anona Pak 9-21 21-19 21-17,

Women’s singles: Jacquelin Guan bt Susannah Leydon Davis 22-20 18-21 21-10,

Women’s singles: Melinda Sun lt Lillian Shih 17-21 18-21,

Men’s doubles: Tieu/Matthew Chan bt Ormsby Van Selm/Phillips 16-21 21-12 21-11,

Women’s doubles: Tara Pilven/Verdet Kessler lt Anona Pak/Aviva Pak 26-28 21-17 16-21,

Mixed: Beundia/Pilven bt Shawn Zhang/Carmen Yuen 21-18 21-18,

Mixed: Chew/Guan lt Benny Suen/Anona Pak 12-21 12-21.