Experience Still Counts In New Zealand Badminton - brief & results

Age hasn’t been a barrier for the players with more experience at the North Harbour Badminton Open with several, so call veterans making finals.

 

Thirty-year-old Dan Shirley who has had limited tournament play over the past couple of years won through to the men’s and the mixed finals while the new group of younger players had to be content with good results in the singles draws only.

 

Shirley and fellow Waitakere player Simon Koo beat the top seeds and former world junior champs team members Kevin Dennerly-Minturn from Auckland and Waikato’s Oliver Leydon-Davis in straight games in their semifinal to set up a finals clash with two others well behind them in years, Ashraf Dhoray and Delius Tang.

 

Shirley also won into the mixed final by teaming up with his sister Gabby Aves. They defeated Aucklanders Brent Miller and Emma Chapple in the semi after earlier knocking out seeds Leydon-Davis and Danielle Barry. In the final they play the New Zealand team duo of Henry Tam and Donna Halliday who also regarded as veterans of the sport by the large group of emerging talent which is barely out ot their teens.

 

The men’s singles final features a rising teenage star in Bjorn Seguin from the Waikato who recently won the New Zealand U23 title. He beat North Harbour’s Dean Nuttall in three tough games in the semifinals to set up a meeting with Daniel Forrest, also from North Harbour. Forrest beat Southland’s second seed James Eunson in straight games.

 

The women’s singles has New Zealand senior rep, Jessica Jonggowisastro up against second seed Anna Rankin(Southland).

 

Jonggowisastro beat top seed, Clare Chapple in three games in the semifinals while Rankin had a relatively straightforward win over Auckland’s Emma Rodgers and will be looking for another title to follow up her U23 tournament win.

 

 

North Harbour Badminton Open

Results:

Men’s quarterfinals singles:

Bjorn Seguin(Waikato) bt Anush Pandian(Auckland) 21-9 21-6, Dean Nuttal(Nth Harbour) bt Luke Charlesworth(Waitakere) 21-16 18-21 21-7, Daniel Forrest(Nth Harbour) bt Brent Miller(Auckland) 21-19 21-1, James Eunson(Southland) bt Reon Mcfarlane(Waikato) 21-19 21-17

 

Semifinals:

Seguin bt Nuttall 21-10 15-21 21-19, Forrest bt Eunson 21-18 21-19

 

Women’s singles quarterfinals:

Clare Chapple(Auckland) bt Joyce Chiang(Waikato) 21-12 21-15, Jessica Jonggowisastro(Nth Harbour) bt Maggie Chan(Auckland) 14-21 21-10 21-17, Anna Rankin(Soutland) bt Susannah Leydon-Davis(Waikato) 21-10 21-5, Emma Rodgers(Auckland) bt Jayana Devathansan 21-9 21-9.

 

Semifinals

Jonggowisastro bt Chapple 21-13 18-21 21-18, Rankin bt Rodgers 21-18 21-17

 

Men’s doubles semifinals:

Simon Koo(Waikatere)/Dan Shirley(Waikatere) bt Kevin Dennerley-Minturn(Auckland)/Oliver Leydon-Davis(Waikato) 21-15 21-19, Ashraf Dhoray(Auckland)/Delius Tang(Auckland) bt Daniel Forrest(Nth Harbour)/Dean Nuttall(Nth Harbour) 21-15 23-21.

 

Women’s doubles semifinals:

Kritteka Gregory(Waitakere)/Mary O’Connor(Waitakere) bt Clare Chapple(Auckland)/Anna Rankin(Southland) 21-18 21-17, Danielle Barry(Waitakere)/Donna Halliday(Auckland) bt Louise Mckenzie(Auckland)/Emma Rodgers(Auckland) 21-19 22-20.

 

Mixed doubles semifinals:

Henry Tam(Auckland)/Donna Halliday(Auckland) bt Kevin Dennerley-Minturn(Auckland)/Louise Mckenzie(Auckland) 21-9 21-17, Dan Shirley(Waitakere)/Gabby Aves(Waitakere) bt Brent Miller(Auckland)/Emma Chapple(Auckland) 21-18 21-16.