Tag / Lauren Smith

by Henry Burridge

Thailand Masters triumph hands Ellis & Smith breakthrough Super 300 title

Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith secured the first BWF World Tour Super 300 title of their career with victory in the Thailand Masters showpiece.

For the third straight day the World No13s had to play out three games before claiming the gold 21-16 13-21 21-16 against Hafiz Faizal & Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja of Indonesia.

It was a fourth appearance in a Super 300 for the English duo, who finally claimed top spot on the podium for their first title win since last year’s European Games.

It will also give them a boost in the race for the Olympics. Only one of Ellis & Smith or the Adcocks are likely to qualify for the 2020 Games, the pairs adjacent to each other on the Race to Tokyo standings.

In Bangkok, Ellis & Smith gradually drew into a first-game lead before comfortably getting over the line without having fallen behind.

Game two was much closer for the most part, the pairs level at 8-8.

However, Faizal & Widjaja bagged eight of the final ten points to set up a decider.

The English combination made a stunning start, racing into a 6-0 lead they would never give up.

And though Faizal & Widjaja reined in that advantage, they could never close the gap completely before Ellis fired the final kill into the court to seal the win.

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by Henry Burridge

Stunning victory sends Ellis & Smith into Thailand Masters final

Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith fought through a thrilling affair to reach the Thailand Masters final.

The English pair will enter Sunday’s showdown against Indonesians Hafiz Faizal & Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja seeking their first ever Super 300 title in their fourth final appearance at this level.

And for the second straight day they had to come from behind in their semi-final win, this time downing Goh Soon Huat & Lai Shevon Jemie 19-21 21-19 24-22.

The 74-minute contest was full of twists and turns from the beginning, Ellis & Smith reeling off six straight points at one stage to come back and lead from 17-12 down in the first.

But the Malaysians regained their posture and saw out the game at the second attempt.

Goh & Lai appeared set to push on to a straight-games win at 18-15 up in the second before Ellis & Smith once again raced back to level up the match.

The deciding game was the best of the bunch as the lead changed hands five times, the pairs separated by no more than three points at any stage.

The English pairing had the lead 11-10 at the mid-game interval but found themselves continually pegged back by Goh & Lai after opening up an advantage.

Ellis & Smith could not secure victory on their first two match points and would then have to save one as the face-off teetered the other way.

But eventually they captured the win for a second final appearance in three tournaments following their Syed Modi International silver in December.

by Henry Burridge

Rampant comeback sends Ellis & Smith into Thailand Masters semi-finals

Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith fought their way into the Thailand Masters semi-finals by coming from a game down in a rampant finish.

They overcame Koreans Choi Sol Gyu & Shin Seung Chan 14-21 21-10 21-7 to secure their spot in the final four at the first BWF World Tour Super 300 event of the year.

There was little to separate the pairs to begin with as the first game went back and forth to 8-8.

From there Choi & Shin pulled ahead to go a game up.

But Ellis & Smith would not fall behind in either the second or third sets.

Game two was won with a series of streaks that eventually saw the Koreans relent with the third on the horizon.

By that point, however, the sixth seeds were on top of their game and a nine-point stretch to open up an 18-5 lead broke the back of the contest.

Saturday’s semi will see Ellis & Smith take on Goh Soon Huat & Lai Shevon Jemie, the third seeds.

The Malaysians lead the head-to-head 3-2, having won all three of the meetings in 2019, the English combination having triumphed in the first two face-offs in 2018, including victory at the BWF World Tour Finals.

The day’s only other match featuring Brits saw Ellis & Chris Langridge lose out 21-13 16-21 21-15 in three close-fought games against Goh V Shem & Tan Wee Kiong in the men’s doubles.

by Henry Burridge

Marcus Ellis makes brace of quarter-finals at Thailand Masters

Marcus Ellis will be on double duty at the 2020 Thailand Masters quarter-finals following a brace of second-round victories.

He advanced in both the men’s and mixed doubles, but there were defeats for Britain’s remaining women’s singles and doubles shuttlers at the first BWF World Tour Super 300 event of the season.

Matters kicked off with Ellis & Chris Langridge getting the best of Muhammad Shohibul Fikri & Bagas Maulana 21-16 21-19 in the men’s doubles.

There as little to separate the two pairs in either game, the English duo finishing stronger in each.

They now face Malaysian fourth seeds Goh V Shem & Tan Wee Kiong in the last-eight.

Ellis & Langridge have won just one of their six meetings – their sole triumph coming in the last face-off at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

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In the mixed, meanwhile, Ellis & Lauren Smith held their nerve to see off Ren Xiang Yu & Zhou Chao Min 21-17 22-20.

It was another close encounter, the pairs never separated by more than two points until Ellis & Smith reeled off five straight points to claim game one.

In the second they held four game points, all of which the Chinese saved in a late show of resistance.

However, that was broken as sixth seeds Ellis & Smith would make sure of a quarter-final against Koreans Choi Sol Gyu & Shin Seung Chan on Friday.

Smith will be hoping for revenge over Shin as, partnered with Chloe Birch, she was eliminated from the women’s doubles 21-15 21-12 by Lee So Hee & Shin.

And for the second straight tournament, Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour exited to An Se Young in the second round, the Korean phenom moving through 21-14 21-14.

by Henry Burridge

Battling Kirsty Gilmour roars back to move into Thailand Masters second round

Kirsty Gilmour strung together a remarkable first-game comeback to move into the second round at the Thailand Masters.

The Scot found herself facing five game points against Ruselli Hartawan but stunned her Indonesian rival with seven straight points to move into the advantage.

Gilmour then raced into a 9-1 lead in game two, which Hartawan steadily closed as near as one point at 18-17.

But from there Gilmour held her nerve to progress 22-20 21-17.

She will now face third seed An Se Young in round two for the second consecutive tournament. The Korean teen won in straight games at last week’s Indonesia Masters.

For England, Lauren Smith made it through to the second round in both her doubles disciplines at the BWF World Tour Super 300 event.

Both wins came in straight games. Alongside Chloe Birch, she saw off home pair Chasinee Korepap & Kwanchanok Sudjaipraparat 21-19 21-16.

And later in the day, Marcus Ellis – who already found himself through in the men’s doubles on Tuesday – partnered up with Smith to down Rodion Alimov & Alina Davletova 21-19 21-7.

After a hard-fought first game which saw the pairs separated by no more than three points, the second was a breeze for the sixth seeds.

They entered the mid-game interval 11-4 up and a run of seven straight points made victory a formality.

Birch & Smith’s women’s doubles opener was equally as close, but Korepap & Sudjaipraparat led 14-10 in the second, only for the English combination to win 11 of the final 13 points to progress.

Birch & Smith face a tough test in fourth seeds Lee So Hee & Shin Seung Chan on Thursday, while Ellis & Smith tackle China’s Ren Xiang Yu & Zhou Chao Min in the mixed.

Ellis & Chris Langridge found out their men’s doubles opposition on Wednesday – Indonesians Muhammud Shohibul Fikri & Bagas Maulana.

However, top British men’s singles hope Toby Penty lost out in a tough first-round draw against second seed Shi Yu Qi of China 21-10 21-18.

And elsewhere in the mixed doubles Irish pair Sam & Chloe Magee lost 21-16 21-14 to Honk Kongers Yeung Ming Nok & Ng Tsz Yau.

From 8-1 down the Magees fought back to level at 16-16 in the first, but late bursts in both games sent Yeung & Ng through.

PICTURE: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0

by Henry Burridge

Chris & Gabby Adcock seal quarter-final spot at Indonesia Masters

The Indonesia Masters quarter-finals await for Chris & Gabby Adcock as they eased through their second-round encounter.

The English duo swept aside the new-look home partnership of Tontowi Ahmad & Apriyani Rahayu 21-9 21-12.

The Adcocks were ruthless in opening up a 14-3 advantage in the first game, before streaking away from their rivals late in the second, finishing matters within 36 minutes thanks to a five-point flourish.

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Waiting in Friday’s quarter-finals are second seeds Wang Yi Lyu & Huang Dong Ping, who came through their own second-round match against Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith.

Their first tournament of the 2020 season ended in a 21-15 21-12 defeat to the Chinese.

And in the women’s singles, Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour lost out 21-14 21-15 to eighth seeded starlet An Se Young of Korea.

by Henry Burridge

Ellis & Langridge push World No1s to the limit in agonising Indonesia Masters defeat

Marcus Ellis & Chris Langridge came within a whisker of a major shock as they pushed World No1s Marcus Gideon & Kevin Sukamuljo to a dramatic third game at the Indonesia Masters.

The Olympic bronze medalists bounced back from a first-game defeat to force a decider, which went the way of the Indonesians after a thrilling denouement.

There was British success, however, as Scotland’s Kirsty Gilmour progressed into the women’s singles second round.

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After Ellis & Langridge traded the opening two games with their Indonesian rivals, they looked dead and buried in the third at 19-9 down, but a stunning run of eight straight points hauled them back into the contest.

The Englishmen would still have to save three match points after that, but another four-point stretch gave them the first of two match points.

They were unable to convert either and then saved two match points themselves before Gideon & Sukamuljo won out 26-24, closing out the contest at their sixth attempt.

Meanwhile, Gilmour returned to court for the first time in 2020 and brushed aside Singaporean Yeo Jia Min in straight games 21-15 21-14.

The 26-year-old was never behind in the first but the second was much tighter, the Scot leading 11-10 at the mid-game interval.

That was the second point in a decisive eight-point streak that enabled Gilmour to progress to a second-round showdown with Korean phenom An Se Young, the teenage eighth seed.

Elsewhere, Ben Lane & Sean Vendy saw their men’s doubles hopes ended at the first hurdle in a 21-17 21-18 defeat to Lu Ching Yao & Yang Po Han to Chinese Taipei.

Chloe Birch & Lauren Smith also lost out 21-14 21-14 to Danes Maiken Fruergaard & Sara Thygesen in the women’s doubles.

Ellis & Smith will return to court together on Thursday for their mixed doubles second-round tester with second seeds Wang Yi Lyu & Huang Dong Ping, while Chris & Gabby Adcock meet newly formed Indonesian pair Tontowi Ahmad & Apriyani Rahayu.

by Henry Burridge

Adcocks seal dramatic win amid first-round double at Indonesia Masters

Chris & Gabby Adcock came from a game down and saved match point to progress into the second round at the Indonesia Masters.

After the Adcocks secured their first win of 2020 in dramatic style, team-mates Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith followed them on court at the Istora Senayan and made it an English mixed doubles double.

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First up, the Adcocks saw off Japanese pair Takuro Hoki & Wakana Nagahara 19-21 21-16 22-20.

Hoki & Nagahara, quarter-finalists at the season-opening Malaysia Masters last week, had the lead for the majority of the first game and held off a fightback bid from the English to go a game up.

The second game was very much a reversal of fortunes as the Adcocks gradually pulled clear to level up.

The advantage changed hands on multiple occasions in the decider, the Adcocks up at the interval only for a five-point run to hand the Japanese a 15-12 advantage.

Hoki & Nagahara also held match point at 20-19, but the English couple saved defeat and then sealed victory.

It was a much more straightforward task for Ellis & Smith, who overcame Rodion Alimov & Alina Davletova 21-17 21-10.

That victory was revenge, the English combination starting their year against the opposition they finished 2019 when losing the Syed Modi International final.

The pairs will meet yet again in the first round of next week’s Thailand Masters.

Ellis & Smith now face a stern task in World No2s Wang Yi Lyu & Huang Dong Ping in the second round, while the Adcocks wait to find out their Thursday opponents – one of seventh seeds Seo Seung Jae & Chae Yu Jung or Tontowi Ahmad & Apriyani Rahayu.

Irish pair Sam & Chloe Magee lost their first-round clash with Taipei’s Lee Yang & Yang Ching Tun 21-10 21-15.

The men’s singles qualifying saw Toby Penty beaten 22-20 21-18 by Japan’s Koki Watanabe.

Wednesday’s action will see Ellis & Chris Langridge tackle the daunting challenge of World No1s Marcus Gideon & Kevin Sukamuljo on home soil.

Elsewhere in the men’s doubles, Ben Lane & Sean Vendy meet Lu Ching Yao & Yang Po Han, while Smith & Chloe Birch take on fellow Europeans Maiken Fruergaard & Sara Thygesen in the women’s.

Scot Kirsty Gilmour also returns to court against Singaporean Yeo Jia Min in women’s singles.

by Henry Burridge

Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith end 2019 with defeat in Syed Modi International final

Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith closed out 2019 with final defeat at the Syed Modi International Championships.

The English pairing claimed European Games gold in 2019, but were unable to add a first career BWF World Tour Super 300 event crown after a straight games defeat to Rodion Alimov & Alina Davletova in India.

Top seeds entering the tournament, Ellis & Smith did not drop a game en route to the Lucknow showpiece.

However, they were edged out first up against the Russian eighth seeds 21-18, despite putting up a fight in the closing stages.

The second game will have been truly gutting. Ellis & Smith forged an early advantage and went into the mid-game interval 11-8 up.

However, they would win just two of the next 14 points to hand Alimov & Davletova a stack of game points.

Three were saved, but the deficit was much too steep as the Russians claimed their own maiden BWF World Tour title 21-16 on their fourth championship point.

by Henry Burridge

Maiden Super 300 title on the line for Ellis & Smith in Syed Modi International finals

Marcus Ellis & Lauren Smith will be gunning for their first BWF World Tour Super 300 title on Sunday after reaching the Syed Modi International Championships final.

The top seeds saw off Mark Lamsfuss & Isabel Herttrich 23-21 21-13 in the semi-finals to reach a third ever showpiece in the Super 300 tier.

They will match up against Russian eighth seeds Rodion Alimov & Alina Davletova, who saw off French pair Thom Qicquel & Delphine Delrue as the mixed doubles semis were filled entirely by European combinations.

Lamsfuss & Herttrich may well feel hard done by at having lost the opening game, which they led from the first point all the way until the English pair drew level at 19-19.

It took three game points for Ellis & Smith to get over the line, but the second proved no such fuss as they saw out the set with a five-point flourish.

“Really happy with today’s fight, we stuck in after a slow start and didn’t let up,” Smith told Badminton England.

“We controlled the match much better in the second set and got the result we wanted.”

The world No11s have never faced final opponents Alimov & Davletova, who will be playing their first World Tour final, but have won a pair of International Challenge titles in Dubai and their home White Nights tournament in 2019.