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NATIONALS NEWS
29-Jan-07:
Ouseph named top seed
for English Nationals |
 RAJIV
OUSEPH, the reigning European junior champion from Middlesex,
was today named top seed in the men's singles at the English
National Badminton Championships at The Velodrome in
Manchester's Sportcity from February 2-4.
The 20-year-old Loughborough student is seeded ahead of defending
champion Nick Kidd (Bucks).
Nathan Rice (Bucks), who was runner-up to Ouseph in the Elite
Grand Finals last month in Bath, is third seed with Canadian Open
winner Toby Honey (Surrey) at number four.
But Middlesex’s Aamir Ghaffar, runner-up last year having won
the title the two other years the Championships have been held in
Manchester, is only seeded No 6.
In the women's singles Jill Pittard, beaten finalist last
year, is top seed, with Elite Final winner Michelle Cheung
(Bucks) second seed and Rachel Howard (Herts), who was
runner-up to her in Bath, at No 3. Rebecca Pantaney (Gloucs),
who was runner-up in 1998, has come out of retirement to enter and
is No 4 seed.
But Jersey star Elizabeth Cann (representing Middlesex this
season) is not seeded despite being the only past winner in the
women's singles with Commonwealth champion Tracey Hallam out injured
and Julia Mann now retired.
All five of England's World Championship medallists will be
competing in Manchester with the mixed doubles the big attraction.
World and Commonwealth champions Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms,
who were runners-up at last week's Malaysia Open and semi-finalists
at this weekend’s Korean Open, are bidding for their fifth title
together and are top seeds.
Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg, who were runners-up to them
in Madrid as well as in Manchester last year are seeded to meet them
again in the final.
In the men's doubles Clark and Robert Blair, the World
runners-up, are clear favourites while Emms and Kellogg, the
European champions, are top seeds in the women's doubles as Emms
bids for her sixth title and Kellogg her fifth.
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MEN'S SINGLES
(Holder: Nick Kidd)
1 Rajiv Ouseph (Middx)
2 Nick Kidd (Bucks)
3 Nathan Rice (Bucks)
4 Toby Honey (Surrey)
5 Andrew Ellis (Yorks)
6 Aamir Ghaffar (Middx)
7 Neil White (Notts)
8 Ben Beckman (Surrey)
WOMEN'S SINGLES
(Holder: Tracey Hallam)
1 Jill Pittard (Warks)
2 Michelle Cheung (Bucks)
3 Rachel Howard (Herts)
4 Rebecca Pantaney (Gloucs)
MEN'S DOUBLES
(Holders: Blair & Clark)
1 Robert Blair (Leics) & Anthony Clark (Notts)
2 Chris Langridge (Surrey) & David Lindley (Notts)
3 Robert Adcock (Notts) & Robin Middleton (Yorks)
4 Dean George (Herts) & Chris Tonks (Warks)
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
(Holders: Emms & Kellogg)
1 Gail Emms (Herts) & Donna Kellogg (Derbyshire)
2 Natalie Munt (Herts) & Joanne Nicholas (Lancs)
3 Suzanne Rayappan (Herts) & Jenny Wallwork (Yorks)
4 Sarah Bok (Yorks) & Liza Parker (Herts)
MIXED DOUBLES
(Holders: Robertson & Emms)
1 Nathan Robertson (Notts) & Gail Emms (Herts)
2 Anthony Clark (Notts) & Donna Kellogg (Derbyshire)
3 Robert Blair (Leics) & Jenny Wallwork (Yorks)
4 David Lindley (Notts) & Suzanne Rayappan (Herts)
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