Weistra Moves Closer To Another National Final

Waikato player TJ Weistra has the opportunity to go one better than last year as he continues to try and fight his way to the finals of the 2012 National Badminton Championships in Auckland.

Weistra, aged 36 is the world over 35 years champion and was a finalist in nationals last year. He managed to have straightforward wins to the quarterfinals before defeating former Kiwi No1 Joe Wu(Northland) in three games in 46 minutes to make the semis.

Dutch-born Weistra will face Samuel Ho after the Aucklander was given an easier journey to the last four with top seed James Eunson pulling out ofthe event with illness. Also making the men's semis are former Cantab, now Waikato based player Asher Richardson who will play Waitakere's Luke Charlesworth after he beat North Harbour's Brock Matheson in straight games.


The women's semifinals feature all four of the top seeds with Southland's Anna Rankin taking on Amanda Brown(Waikato) and Auckland's Lilian Shih set to play North Harbour's Anona Pak who won all three titles in the under-19 champs last year.

The men's and women's doubles and mixed are all through to the semifinals stages with several players such as Ho, Richardson, Shih and doubles specialist Henry Tam featuring in at least two semis in singles or doubles.

Finals commence at the Auckland Badminton Stadium on Gillies Ave from 11am, Sunday.

Results: 2012 National Badminton Championships, Auckland Badminton Stadium, Gillies Ave.
Men's singles third round:
Joe Wu(Northland) bt Thomas Ellis(Waikato) 21-9 16-21 21-11, TJ Weistra(Waikato) bt Daniel Lee(Auckland) 21-11 22-20, Dylan Soedjasa(Nth Harbour) bt Ashraf Dhoray(Auckland) 21-19 17-21 21-17, Brock Matheson(Nth Harbour) bt Joseph Timms(Marlborough) 22-20 21-14, Luke Charlesworth(Waitakere) bt Rob Batty(Auckland) 21-9 21-13, Asher Richardson(Waikato) bt Brent Miller(Auckland) 21-15 7-21 21-14, Max Desai(Waikato) bt Turenne Lee(Auckland) 21-11 21-13, Samuel Ho(Auckland) bt Harry Long(Auckland) 21-15 21-17.
Quarterfinals:
Westra bt Wu 6-21 21-13 21-15, Ho bt Desai 21-18 21-14, Richardson bt Soedjasa 21-17 21-9, Charlesworth bt Matheson 21-12 21-10.

Women's singles quarterfinals
Anna Rankin(Southland) bt Carmen Yuen(Auckland)21-13 21-12, Amanda Brown(Waikato) bt Carolin Stuehmeyer(Auckland) 21-5 21-13, Lilian Shih(Auckland) bt Marcia Ho(Canterbury)21-14 21-15, Anona Pak(Nth Harbour) bt Kaitlyn McLeod(Auckland) 21-18 21-17.

Men's doubles quarterfinals:
Samuel Ho/Riga Oud(Auckland) bt Rob Batty/Kelvin Ngim(Auckland) 21-18 21-18, Henry Tam(Auckland)/Jo Wu(Northland) bt David Liang/Kevin Liang(Auckland) 21-13 21-13, Brock Matheson(Nth Harbour)/Asher Richardson(Waikato) bt Raymond Ke/Daniel Lee(Auckland) 21-16 21-17, Ashraf Dhoray/Brent Miller(Auckland) bt Daniel Forrest(Nth Harbour)/Nathan Hannam(Auckland) 21-10 21-10.

Women's doubles quarterfinals:
Lilian Shih/Carmen Yuen(Auckland) bt Alyse Derby(Wellington North)/Justine Villegas(Canterbury) 21-12 21-14, Doriana Rivera Aliaga/Madeleine Stapleton(Waikato) bt Jayana Devathasan/Rowena Devathasan(Auckland) 21-9 19-21 21-11, Stephanie Cheng/Kylie Luo(Auckland) bt Marcia Ho(Canterbury)/Aishwarya Nair(Waitakere) 21-9 21-9, Amanda Brown(Waikato)/Kritteka Gregory(Waitakere) bt Anna Ranking(Southland)/Emma Rodgers(Auckland) 21-19 21-14.

Mixed quarterfinals:
Maika Phillips/Anona Pak(Nth Harbour) bt Dylan Soedjasa(Nth Harbour)/Angie Leung(Auckland) 21-14 21-10, Samuel Ho/Carmen Yuen(Auckland) bt Joseph Timms(Marlborough)/Marcia Ho(Cantebury) 21-10 21-13, Kelvin Ngim/Jenny Hawkyard(Auckland) bt Thomas Ellis/Ashleigh Karl(Waitakere) 21-14 21-11, Henry Tam/Kylie Luo(Auckland) bt Kerwyn Lee(Nth Harbour)/Lilian Shih(Auckland) 21-7 21-5.