When the Swedish Masters kicked off on Wednesday there were not many who would have predicted that new English women’s doubles partnership Kate Robertshaw and Sophie Brown (pictured) would be championship contenders come Sunday’s finals.
The English girls surprised everyone but themselves in today’s semi-final taking down established Dutch pair Tabeling & Barning in three games after beating Bitburger GPG finalists Bolotova and Kosetskaya in the earlier quarter final. The English girls were forced to do it the hard way against the Dutch having to come from a set down to win a marathon battle that extended over an hour on Badminton Europe’s TV court.
“We got great confidence in beating the Russians in the earlier quarter final and this semi-final win is really a product of the hard work we have put in on the training court as we continue to get to know each other as a pair” said Robertshaw.
The English will face off against Olympic Bronze medallist Nina Vislova and her current partner Anastasia Chervyakova after the Russians to were taken to the wire against emerging Danish Pair Thygesen and Fruergaard.
Poles and Danes set up dream Men’s doubles final
When the draw was released for the Swedish Master the possible men’s doubles final between Poland’s Wacha & Cwalina and Danish duo Skaarup Rasmussen and Astrup was the match that everyone wanted to materialise. The Danes came through relatively unscathed in this evening’s semi-final against Moren and Szkudlarczyk while the Poles were made to call on all their vast experience to come through in three against French pair Labar & Careme.
In the mixed doubles Selena Piek took advantage of only having to play one event this week as women’s doubles partner Eefje Muskens recovers from injury. Piek and partner Jacco Arends beat in form pair Nohr & Thygesen in the quarter final before ending the run of Russian pair Kosetskaya and Yartsev to book a welcomed final spot early in the New Year.
“This week it was nice to have to focus on just one event but I am also looking forward to getting back into the swing of things at women’s doubles” said Piek Jacco and I stayed focused today and the win over the Danes in the quarter final gave us a lot of confidence going into this semi-final.
The Dutch will now play veteran Vislova, who will play in two finals, and Durkin after the Russians beat Christiansen and Grebak in today’s semi-final.
Age is only a number if you are Pablo Abian
Pablo Abian continues to roll back the years to book yet another International Challenge final spot after blitzing all before him in Sweden this week. The Spanish veteran ended the impressive run of Danish qualifier Steffen Rasmussen in today’s semi-final and will now play top seed Rajiv Ouseph after the English number 1 was made fight hard in three games against Raul Must.
“It was a tricky match today against Raul” Said Ouseph. “I just had to stay calm and stick to my plan after losing the first set and I was confident in the win after taking the second set pretty easy”.
Spain will have double representation in tomorrow’s final as lie the men’s doubles the women’s singles will take place between the pair that everyone wanted to see in the final. Beatriz Corrales has looked unstoppable this week in Sweden and in today’s semi-final Linda Zetchiri was no match for the Spaniard.
Corrales will face second seed Kirsty Gilmour in tomorrow’s final after the Scot saw of the threat of French number 1 Sashina Vignes Waran in the semi-final. The match looked to be heading to a third set when Sashina led 16-11 in the second game after Gilmour took the opener. However the Scot took 10 of the last 11 points in the game to book her final spot in a half set of badminton was almost as complete as it could get.
“The second half of that second set was pretty satisfactory” said Gilmour “I have come to 2015 focused and determined and defending my title in Sweden would be a great start if I could win tomorrow”.
For all results from today’s play at the 2015 Swedish Masters click HERE
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Article and Image by Mark Phelan (Live in Sweden).