Good Yonex All England draw for Robertson and Emms
23rd February 2008Former champions Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms have received a good draw in the mixed doubles at the 25th Yonex-sponsored All England Open Championships, to be played at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena from March 4-9.
The 2005 champions and 2006 runners-up begin with a qualifier in the first round. The No. 8 seeds would expect to meet Indonesian third seeds Flandy Limpele and Vita Marissa in the quarter-finals and twice world champions Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir in the semi-finals if the tournament goes to seeding.
But head coach Ian Wright had no complaints. “I’m quite happy with that,” he said. For England’s 2007 All England runners-up Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg the draw is slightly tougher.
After a qualifier in the first round they could well run into Thailand seventh seeds Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thoungthongkam with Chinese fourth seeds Xie Zhongbo and Zhang Yawen likely to be lurking in the quarter –finals of this third BWF Super Series event of 2008.
Defending champions and top seeds Zheng Bo and Gao Ling start against Poland’s Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Kostiuczyk.
Women’s Doubles:
Gail Emms, fit again after the illness which kept her out of the Korean Open and the English Nationals, is also No 8 seed in the women’s doubles with Donna Kellogg and the European champions start with a tricky clash against Indonesians Jo Novita and Greysia Polii.
England’s Jo Nicholas and Natalie Munt face Russia’s Anastasia Russkikh and Ekaterina Ananina while Suzanne Rayappan and Jenny Wallwork must take on sixth seeds Yu Chin Chien and Wen Hsing Cheng of Taipei.
Top seeds and defending champions Zhang Yawen and Wei Yili begin their title bid against India’s Shruti Kurian and Jwala Gutta.
Men’s singles:
England’s lone representative in the main draw is Andrew Smith and he begins his bid against a qualifier. If he wins that contest he is likely to run into second seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia in the second round. Smith’s great rival in the race for a British Olympic place for Beijing is Welshman Richard Vaughan but he must play in the qualifying on All England Tuesday when he is fifth qualifying seed. England’s new National champion Rajiv Ouseph must also contest the qualifying.
Defending champion Lin Dan, who has appeared in the last four finals and won three, begins against India’s Anup Sridhar. China’s world champion is in the same half as Korean Lee Hyun-ll, the 2006 runners-up who beat Lin Dan in that controversial Korea Open final in January.
But Lee would probably have to dispose of China’s third seed Bao Chunlai and Denmark’s eighth seed and 1999 champion Peter Gade before getting to Lin Dan in the semi-finals.
Women’s singles:
Commonwealth champion Tracey Hallam, who just failed to get through last year’s qualifying rounds on her return from a six-month injury lay-off, is in the main draw after climbing back into the world’s top 16. The 32-year-old left-hander will face China’s Jiang Yanjiao in the first round.
A victory is likely to earn her a crack at Malaysia’s eighth seed Wong Mew Choo, the 2007 China Open winner
English National champion Elizabeth Cann must play the qualifying but is top seed and begins with a bye. She has a good chance of coming through to the main draw in a quarter which includes Rachel Howard, Jill Pittard and Solenn Pasturel.
Top seed and defending champion Xie Xingfang of China is chasing a fourth consecutive women’s singles title and she begins her quest against Pui Yin Yip of Hong Kong.
Men’s doubles:
China, who won all five titles last year, are seeded No 1 in all events this year and Fu Haifeng and Cai Yun, the 2006 world champions and Korea Open winners, are chasing their third All England title in four years. They start their bid against Rian Sukmawan and Yonatan Suryatama Dasuki of Indonesia.
World champions and second seeds Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan begin their bid for a first All England title against Tadashi Ohtsuka and Keita Masuda of Japan.
Although Robert Blair and Anthony Clark won England a world silver medal in 2006, the end of their partnership means that all the home hopes have to contest the qualifying. In fact England have five pairings in the qualifying including Kristian Roebuck with Welshman Martyn Lewis – in a line-up which also includes mixed doubles champion Zheng Bo in partnership with Xu Chen.
For the first time the All England qualifying rounds on Tuesday March 4 are open to the public – which offers fans a great chance to see some of England’s emerging young talent in action, including world junior silver medalists Chris Adcock and Gabby White in the mixed doubles.
To book tickets phone 0870 010 9079.