General

Jack Shephard flying into the finals in Spain (credit Badminton Photo)
Europeans dominate finals
Date: 5/15/2021 8:32 PM
Published by : Bobby Griffin (BEC)

With thirteen of the eighteen finals being played tomorrow in Spain featuring European players, this final qualifier will help many make it to the Paralympics.


Whilst many Asians are absent for obvious reasons, European players are making the most of the situation and collecting additional ranking points that will help them qualify for Tokyo 2020 later this year.


A standout European fixture on Finals Day tomorrow is the men’s singles rematch of England’s Krysten Coombs and Jack Shephard. Common names in the later stages of tournaments yet the pair haven’t met in the final of an International since Japan 2018.


Reigning World Champion Shephard leads the head-to-head 5-3, however his last victory over his teammate was that same year at the Continental Championships final. Coombs has taken the win at the semi-final stages of the last two meetings in 2019, in China then Japan.


Read: Do you know the next BEC Commission members?


Shephard is current world number one and second place in the Race to Tokyo rankings, whilst Coombs is fifth in the world and holds fourth position in the Paralympic qualifying list. Being from the same country it will take a bi-partite application by Team GB for Coombs to get an invite, and a win here this week can only help his cause.



Shephard – ‘it should be a great showdown!’


Jack Shephard spoke with us this afternoon and gave us his feelings about the final tomorrow and how he sees the buildup to the Paralympics:


- it’s great to be out here and to be playing a tournament again after such a long time due to the pandemic. I’m really excited for the final tomorrow and it should be great showdown between me and Coombs.


- I will be trying my best out there to bring home the victory. This is the last big tournament before the Paralympic Games and I’m trying to gain as much experience as I can, especially all the Covid protocols now in place, I’m doing what I can to get my head around that.


- I’m really looking forward to Tokyo, even if it does become a slightly different experience to what you’d normally imagine, it is the start of a dream come true. Another final helps me get used to that feeling when the pressure is on and that will really help me at the Paralympics.



Follow the Spanish Para badminton international tournament here this week and across our usual platforms. The schedule and results can be found on tournament software here

©badmintoneurope.com. All rights reserved.

Related news
29/03/2024
Europeans ready for quarterfinals in Madrid
European favourites out of the...

27/03/2024
EOC Executive Committee awards 2027 European Games to Istanbul
The European Olympic Committee...

27/03/2024
Madrid Spain Masters day 2: Victories, upsets, and excitement on court.
French siblings sweep to victo...

26/03/2024
A first action-packed day unfolds at the Spain Masters
The Madrid Spain Masters 2024 ...

26/03/2024
Spain Masters begins today with an unexpected withdrawal!
Madrid is buzzing with excitem...

25/03/2024
Lane/ Vendy and Marin, victorious at Swiss Open
The Swiss Open concluded this ...

More news