Final Results - New Zealand Badminton Championships

Five national titles were decided at the New Zealand Championships played at North Harbour over the weekend. This was the inaugural New Zealand Championships whereby players must be eligible to represent NZ to enter the tournament, previously the New Zealand Open has been accepted as the New Zealand National Championships however with the growth in the New Zealand Open which now has a large and strong international entry this new event was needed to find out our champions in each discipline

Joe Wu would have to be crowned “Player of the Tournament” winning triple national titles: men’s singles, men’s doubles with Oliver Leydon-Davis and mixed doubles with Danielle Barry.

As with any tournament there were surprise results; most notably in the semi-final of the men’s doubles when ex-international Kerrin Harrison and partner Leck Tham, from North Harbour defeated national squad members James Eunson and Kevin Dennerly-Minturn in what was one of the closest matches of the tournament. The women’s singles final result was another surprise with Melissa Leviana (NH) defeating NZ team member Anna Rankin in two straight games, Melissa thriving on the support from her home crowd.

The men’s singles final was team mate against team mate, the established vs the up and coming, Joe Wu (Wko) vs James Eunson (Sth). Joe started strongly, totally dominating James, forcing him into a number of unforced errors, winning the first game easily. James came back in the second game with some good attacking but at the end of the day Joe was too strong winning the match 21-8 21-19. Michael Fowke (Wko) was too strong for Dean Nuttall (NH) winning the 3-4 play-off in two games.

As expected the pace and speed of NZ Team mates Joe Wu and Oliver Leydon-Davis was too much for Harrison and Tham in the men’s doubles final, winning comfortably in two games. In the 3-4 play-off James Eunson and Kevin Dennerly-Minturn had to work hard to beat the NZ Junior Representatives Luke Charlesworth and Brock Matheson.

It was a good day for the Melissa’s from North Harbour in the women’s singles with Melissa Leviana winning the title and Melissa Yin defeating Waikato’s Amanda Brown in the 3-4 play-off.

The women’s doubles final was always going to be another interesting matchup; the young vs the experienced. Kritteka Gregory and Mary O’Connor (Wtk) playing the experienced doubles player Danielle Barry and ex-Peru National squad player Doriana Riveria. Experience again won the day, 21-17 24-22. The 3-4 play-off was an all junior match with the Waikato pairing of Amanda Brown and Susannah Leydon-Davis too strong for the sisters Anona and Aviva Pak from North Harbour.

The mixed doubles final was the only final to go to three games, a match which lasted 49 minutes, each game being won by the narrowest of margins. Joe Wu and Danielle Barry defeating Oliver Leydon-Davis and Catherine Moody 21-23 21-19 21-19; giving Joe his third title of the championships, what a great way to finish the domestic season.

Next weekend is the New Zealand Masters Championships at Waitakere

Results

Men’s Singles:

Final

Joe Wu (Wko) def James Eunson (Sth) 21-8 21-19

3-4 playoff

Michael Fowke (Wko) def Dean Nuttall (NH) 21-16 21-19

Women’s Singles

Melissa Leviana (NH) def Anna Rankin (Sth) 21-18 21-15

3-4 Play-off

Melissa Yin (NH) def Amanda Brown (Wko) 21-17 16-21 21-10

Men’s Doubles

Final

Joe Wu/Oliver Leydon-Davis (Wko) def Kerrin Harrison/Leck Tham (NH) 21-13 21-16

3-4 play-off

Kevin Dennerly-Minturn (Ak)/James Eunson (Sth) def Luke Charlesworth (Wtk)/Brock Matheson (NH) 21-18 21-19

Women’s Doubles

Final

Danielle Barry (Wtk)/Doriana Rivera (Wko) def Kritteka Gregory/Mary O’Connor (Wtk) 21-17 24-22

3-4 play-off

Amanda Brown/Susannah Leydon-Davis (Wko) def Anona Pak/Aviva Pak (NH) 17-21 21-16 21-17

Mixed Doubles

Final

Joe Wu (Wko)/Danielle Barry (Wtk) def Oliver Leydon-Davis (Wko)/Catherine Moody (Wtk) 21-23 21-19 21-19

3-4 Play-off

James Eunson (Sth)/Stephanie Cheng (Ak) def Kevin Dennerly-Minturn/Emma Rodgers (Ak) 22-20 11-21 21-12