The biggest ever entry to the Yonex Irish International Championships brought some of the most exciting games ever in this December event. A full day’s qualification play on Thursday 3rd December kept spectators in the Baldoyle Badminton Centre for over 12 hours of high-quality badminton – many people attending the event for the first time found it hard to believe that this was just qualification day!
Play for the main draw began on Friday with many matches going the full distance and seeded players feeling some pressure. Unseeded Rong Bo of China knocked out the No 1 seed in the Women’s Singles, Larisa Griga of the Ukraine - she also won lots of friends for her smiling on-court presence. Sam and Chloe Magee kept Irish eyes smiling as they proceeded through to the Quarter Final stages although 7th seed Irishman Scott Evans fell to an in-form Rune Ulsing from Denmark.
Once again play continued for over 12 hours but nobody was leaving Baldoyle before the last shot had been played.
Saturday’s semi-finals were some of the most hotly contested ever seen with two matches going over the hour mark – No 1 seeds Mikkel Delbo Larsen and Mie Schjoett Kristensen from Denmark taking an hour and two minutes to overcome England’s Marcus Ellis and Heather Olver. While later that day the Danish men’s doubles of Rasmus Bonde and Simon Mollyhus took just a minute less to defeat the no 3 seeds from England, Chris Langridge and Robin Middleton.
5 countries were represented in the finals where in the men’s singles unseeded Henri Hurskainen of Sweden beat the Dane Peter Mikkelsen in a high-quality match. The Danish no 2 seeds of Mads Conrad Petersen and Mads Pieler Kolding defeated the English pair of Marcus Ellis and Peter Mills in the men’s doubles final. Another unseeded player, Caroline Marin, the talented sixteen year old from Spain, eventually overcame the Netherland’s Rachel van Cutsen to take the women’s singles final. In the women’s doubles there was a win for England’s Mariana Agathangelou and Heather Olver over Danish girls Maria Helsbol and Anne Skelbaek. The Danes turned the tables on England in the mixed doubles where Mikkel Delbo Larsen and Mie Schjoett Kirstensen had a convincing victory over Robin Middleton and Mariana Agathangelou.
The organisers were delighted to see so many young people turn up to watch play over the four days of competition, especially from local schools and Baldoyle Badminton Centre is getting ready for an influx of people ready to take up this exciting sport.
Tournament organiser, Paula Connolly, paid tribute to her superb team and to the referee and court officials for a job well done!
To see all the results from the 2009 Yonex Irish International Championships – click here
Photos by badmintonphoto.com