European Badminton Team Championships / Liverpool / 10-15 Feb 2009

How much? Don't worry, Pemuda is not around.

 

Can't blame you for not knowing....
Even you think your countrymen will lose to Germany.
But I have a slightly greater confidence in them.
The Russians are coming ...
You better watch out!

 

The Tournament software website is a disappointment as not all the results were not updated for yesterday's matches. Only the match that Denmark won 3-1 against France was shown.

However, I got a detailed report from European Badminton Championships website as follows:

14th February 2009

Team England through to European semi-finals

By Daniel Smith, Samuel Van Gelder and Gill Lake

Team England booked their place in tomorrow’s European Team Championship semi-final after a largely dominating performance against eighth seeds Ukraine.

The English pairing of Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork got the hosts off to a great start in the mixed doubles at Liverpool's Echo Arena.

With Wallwork dominating at the net and Robertson showing his lethal side throughout with his trademark overhead smashes, the result was never in doubt. Robertson hit one smash at a staggering 299kph in a comfortable first game, which England took 21-9 in just 10 minutes.

The second game was not as comfortable, but Wallwork continued to defend well at the net to ensure England’s first point of the match after a 21-9 21-14victory.

It was a much more even affair in the second match as World Number 21 Andrew Smith came from a game down to defeat Ukraine's Dmytro Zavadskyy 17-21 21-15 21-18 in 52 minutes. Smith showed his fighting spirit to overcome the stubborn Zavadskyy, who is ranked 90th in the world.

Ukraine’s only point of the match came as Larisa Griga beat a brave Elizabeth Cann. Griga, who is ranked 12 places above Cann at No 22 in the world rankings, won 21-15 21-19 in an entertaining match.

However, any thoughts of a Ukrainian revival were put to bed as Chris Adcock and Robert Blair secured the third and decisive point for Team England after their 21-14 21-12 victory against the Ukrainian pair Valery Atrashchenkov and Vladislav Druzchenko in the men’s doubles.

Victorious Blair, winning his 49th cap, was pleased with his team’s performance and sees no reason why they can’t progress to the final. He said: “We worked hard and came through tonight. I think we will be too strong for Poland tomorrow but they have some good male players.”

England will now face Poland in tomorrow’s semi-final, which takes place at 2pm. It will be a rematch of last year's semi-final in which England won 3-0. Poland recorded a 3-1 victory over fifth seeds Netherlands.

Although Poland’s Robert Mateusiak and Kamila Augustyn secured a 21-14 21-9 win, the Dutch duo of Jorrit De Ruiter and Ilse Vaessen were left to rue a string of unforced errors that ultimately cost them the match in the mixed doubles.

However, in the men’s singles Poland did not have it all their way as Przemyslaw Wacha had to fight hard to defeat Eric Pang. Wacha, ranked ninth in the world, combined superb smashes and delicate drop shots in the third game which ultimately won him the match as he ran out 21-15 10-21 21-13 winner.

Netherlands were not to be outdone though as Judith Meulendijks notched up their only victory in the match. The world number 27 was the comprehensive winner against Natalia Pocztowiak as she sealed a 21-9 21-12 win.

Robert Mateusiak took to the court for the second time in the night in the men’s doubles with partner Michal Logosz. Mateusiak was in a devastating mood and Ruud Bosch felt full force of one of his smashes in the face.

Poland rushed ahead in the opening game but the Dutch duo of Bosch and Koen Riddler responded with eight unanswered points. But it was business as usual in the second game as Poland closed play with a 21-15 21-12 win securing their place in tomorrow’s semi-finals.

Russia 3 Germany 2

The Russian mixed doubles pair of Alexander Nikolaenko and Valeri Sorokina took the first game comfortably against Germany’s Johannes Schoettler and Birgit Overzier, who played more consistently in the second game but never threatened their opponents allowing Russia to take the lead 21-11 21-13.

In the singles Mark Zwiebler levelled the match for Germany with a business- like win over Vladimir Malkov 21-9 21-13. Juliane Schenk had to work hard to overcome Russia’s Ella Diehl but eventually came out on top 21-14 21-19 to give Germany the advantage.

Next it was Russia’s turn to level the match when Alexander Nikolaenko and Vitaly Durkin beat Michael Fuchs and Ingo Kinderwater 21-17 21-19 in a fiercely contested men’s doubles.

It was left to the women's doubles to decide the match with the world No 13 pair of Sorokina and Nina Vislova proving too strong for the rare pairing of Birgit Overzier and Xu Huaiwen, beating them 21-10 21-8 to take Russia through to the semi finals.

Denmark 3 France 1

Holders and top seeds Denmark continued their march towards the medals with a 3-1 victory over France.

Jan Jorgensen of Denmark never looked under pressure in the opening game with a 21-13 21-14 victory over the Frenchman Brice Leverdez.

The women's singles followed with France squaring the match at 1-1 as Pi Hongyan easily overcame Nanna Brosolat Jensen 21-9 21-9.

Korean Open winners Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen took the men's doubles to make it 2-1 with succinct win over Baptiste Careme and Ronan Labar 21-16 21-11.

World no 1 Tine Rasmussen made another women's doubles appearance, partnering Marie Roepke to clinch the match for the 12-times champions with a 21-12 21-13 win over Laura Choinet and Weny Rahmawati.


So I got a perfect score for my prediction!

 

Who will enter tomorrow's final?

These are the contenders for a place in final:

1. England v Poland
2. Denmark v Russia

Who will win and in which events?

England have homecourt advantage, Denmark have always been a favourite, more so now as the title holders.

Both Poland and Russia have been fantastic to make it this far. Both of them are dark horses but will they be able to triumph over their more illustrious opponents?

England's weaker links could be their singles department. Could Poland take advantage and secure a point in the doubles as well? The MD may prove to be too difficult, but what of WD and XD?

Denmark is the Mount Everest, but still can be conquered with a little bit of luck and good weather for the Russians, whose forte seems to be in the doubles. But Denmark's Boe and Mogensen are not Korean Open winners for nothing and many even count them as extremely good candidates for the AE. Russia must win at least a singles match and this is not as insurmountable as even Joachim Persson was beaten by Spain's Pablo Abian, unless Denmark decide to field someone else. Let's hope Tine Rasmussen will not feature in WS, but this may be too much of a hope for Russia.

So all four teams will definitely go all out to secure a place in the final and will showcase their best players.

It will perhaps be the best entertainment for the entire Championships. How I wish I could watch it live!