Shuttlers give a good account of themselves at Welsh Open

Gary Baker on 21/12/2011

Welsh shuttlers gave a good account of themselves at badminton's biggest day in the Principality this year, the Yonex Welsh Open in Cardiff this month.

Players from across the world assembled at the Welsh Institute of Sport for the four-day event which was part of Badminton's Europe Circuit.

Cardiff's rising star Sarah Thomas was the best-placed singles player in the tournament as the seventh seed fought bravely against number one Ragna Ingolfsdottier, from Iceland, in the quarter-finals before going out in straight sets 21-16, 21-17.

Men's doubles pairing Martyn Lewis and Matthew Hughes, who won the Welsh Open title back in 2006 when they were competing on the global circuit, also got through to the semis of their competition.

The duo beat Scotland's Josh Neill and Ben Torrance in the first round in straight sets, before taking out England's Tom Burton and Andrew Woolway 21-12, 21-8 to set-up their last four meeting with another Scottish pair, Martin Campbell and Angus Gilmour, who were top seeds.

The Welsh pair won the first set 21-11 but lost the second 21-15 to set up a decider which they lost in a hard-fought battle 21-16.

But young Daniel Font is proving to be a real protégé in the making. He played exceptionally well to beat England's number eight seed Jamie Bonsel in the men's singles before going down 21-17, 21-18 to another Englishman, Neil White.

The men's singles title went to Sri Lankan Niluka Karunaratne, the top seed, who beat Malaysia's Chong Chieh Lok 21-16, 18-21, 21-19 in a exciting final that lasted just under an hour.

Lewis and Hughes' conquerors, Campbell and Gilmour, fell away in their second set against number two seeds Christopher Coles and Matthew Nottingham, of England, 21-19, 21-7.

Other Welsh Open champions were Campbell and Malaysian woman Hui Lin Ng in the mixed doubles, with Switzerland's Nicole Schaller taking the women's singles title after Ingolfsdottier had to retire with the first set at 3-1 through injury.

And Hui Lin Ng joined with her countrywoman Hui Ern Ng to beat England's Alexandra Langley and Lauren Smith for the women's doubles crown.

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