Tracey Hallam & Donna Kellogg bt [2] Natalie Munt & Jo
Nicholas
22/24, 21/13, 21/14 (58m)
[2] Anthony Clark & Nathan Robertson bt Richard Eidestedt
& Chris Langridge 21/11, 21/12 (39m)
[2] Anthony Clark & Donna Kellogg bt [4] Robin Middleton
& Liza Smith
21/9, 21/7 (31m)
Finals Day
Coverage
Finals day roundup from John Hyde
Keep
reading for Richard Eaton's Roundup, Match Summaries, Photos and Audio Interviews from the Velodrome ...
Cann
takes three as
Hallam hints at future Richard Eaton on the finals
Commonwealth champion Tracey Hallam dropped an even
bigger hint that she may relinquish thoughts of retirement at
the Beijing Olympics after a day of mixed fortunes at the
English national championships in which she failed to regain the
women’s singles title but became an unexpected winner of the
women’s doubles.
Hallam, the top seed and twice the former winner, lost 21-15,
21-19 to Elizabeth Cann, the defending champion, before
going on to partner Donna Kellogg, the European doubles
champion, to a 22-24, 21-13, 21-14 win over the second-seeded
Joanne Nicholas and Natalie Munt.
“It
eases the pain from earlier in the day,” said Hallam, after her
doubles success. “So I’m definitely pleased. I’m disappointed
that Gail isn’t here, but I hope she is back to full fitness to
be with us for the Uber Cup,” she added, referring to fact that
she only took part as a last moment substitute for Emms, the
other half of the European women's doubles winning partnership.
“I have played doubles before, but never to this level, but
hopefully this could be the start of my future,” Hallam
concluded, making ears prick.
It seemed an ominous remark for a 32-year-old, even for one who
had some uncertain moments in the opening game in the final and
had never partnered Kellogg before.
But Hallam has skill in abundance, and probably the makings of
another high quality partner for Kellogg, who may need a
permanent replacement for Emms if she retires after Beijing.
“It’s brilliant for me that Tracey stepped in at the last
moment,” reckoned Kellogg, who was arguably the outstanding
player of the tournament. “Otherwise I would not have this
title. She played brilliantly with me and I have to thank her
for that. “
Hallam did not entirely agree. “I think Donna carried me through
a bit today,” she said. “It was a fantastic opportunity to play
with Donna - she’s a world class player. Maybe I can be in the
future.”
However Hallam’s chances of two titles in one tournament and
three national singles titles in total disappeared when she was
beaten by Cann, a result which confirmed that recently the
Middlesex-based Jersey player has improved to something like
world top 20 standard.
Cann often had to work extremely hard to do it, covering the
court with great speed when Hallam knocked the shuttle about
skifully, and playing many of the most important points with a
recently-found confidence.
That
is partly the result not only of improved results, but of
greater fitness from a long summer training sessions. “I knew I
was in fine shape,” she said.
Never was it more evident than on the match point, when Hallam
made Cann scuttle six times to distant parts, via flicks to the
back corners and slices to the front, and at the seventh attempt
the cumulative pressure of the shuttle constantly returning
pressured Hallam into pushing it wide.
But there had been moments when it seemed the top seed’s
shot-making skills might prevail. Hallam came back superbly from
4-12 down to 12-14 and then 14-16, at which stage the contest
had reached a pivotal moment.
Cann responded by moving very fast and lunging very deep for a
low lift from the net on the next rally, getting it back far
enough to bring a reverse slice drop into the net from Hallam.
Cann closed out that game soon afterwards, and discovered that
the second game had a different character – closer all the way,
the advantage hanging on every point.
She was also able to make some beautifully accurate pushes to
the net and many pressurizing punch clears, even though it was
usually Hallam who was the more creative player.
Hallam also got ahead at 10-9 and 13-12 but because she couldn’t
shake Cann off, found the pressure growing on her. This was
evidenced in two or three exasperated winces from the
Commonwealth champion as she made mistakes, though the match
remained at a high standard till the end.
Cann did not seemed surprised to have secured her third title.
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy,” she said. “But I didn’t feel
pressure, because I knew she’s a good player and that it
wouldn’t be such a bad thing to lose to her, though at the same
time I would have been disappointed if had not won.”
Ouseph spoils
Ghaffar's triple bid
Aamir Ghaffar also saw
his hopes of a third title spoilt when he was beaten by the
top-seeded Rajiv Ouseph, his fellow Middlesex player who
credits him with having helped his career.
Ouseph’s 21-15, 12-21, 21-11 victory was a triumph over his own
self-doubt as well as an opponent who is beginning to making
another surge after letting slip some of the fitness which has
earned him some notable scalps.
His play contained some sudden wristy smashes as well as the
deft strokes and touches which have usually characterized his
play. It gave a more potent quality to his game, though there
more many phases when Ghaffar was able to wrest the attacking
initiative from him with fierce, flat mid-court jabs and whips
and eye-catching jump smashes.
One of them pulled a three-point deficit back to 15-16 in the
first game, but Ouseph accelerated away to take it with the help
of two good smashes and two forecourt kills.
That tipped the odds significantly the way of Ouseph, given the
doubts about Ghaffar’s capacity to go the distance, but the
former champion nevertheless dominated a second game which
contained one rally of such dramatic swings between defence and
attack at 13-9 that a slightly somnolent audience burst into
spontaneous applause.
But the start of the third saw Ghaffar go off the boil, and by
the time he was 0-6 and 1-11 down his hopes had been effectively
flattened. Ouseph, confidence rising again, was now playing his
best badminton, and the most Ghaffar could offer was to fight
bravely till the end.
“I’m
very pleased because I was a little bit nervous going into it,”
admitted the 21-year-old winner. “It was good to play Aamir who
has helped me my whole career and I hope we can be in a winning
England team in the Thomas Cup (later this month)”.
The
fifth-seeded Ghaffar appeared to feel that in the circumstances
he had done well. “It was a tough day,” he said. “I am getting
fitter slowly and slowly.
“People thought I could not last three sets so hopefully I have
dispelled that idea. I thought he would be tired but he came out
fast.”
Clark takes another two
Meanwhile Kellogg and Anthony Clark both won titles for
the second successive year. Kellogg had earlier won the mixed
with her fellow former world silver medalist by overcoming
Robin Middleton and Liza Smith 21-19, 21-7.
“Good shot”, Clark kept saying to Kellogg, who looks even more
slender than she was and whose footwork and mobility appear to
have improved with it. She was a constant menacing threat at the
net.
Later Clark won the men’s doubles with Nathan Robertson,
who looked so relaxed much of the time that one wondered if he
would have enough adrenaline to carry him through it.
In fact they were rarely challenged, even though Chris
Langridge and Robin Eisestedt had some good moments in the
second game of a 21-11, 21-12 defeat, and looked a likely combo
for the future.
Robertson and Clark had just too many variations in attack and
it was easy to see how they beat the then world champions en
route to the European silver medal four years ago. More than
eight years ago Robertson won a world silver medal at this
discipline.
So would Robertson and Clark re-form their partnership more
permanently? Would they try again together after the Beijing
Olympics?
“This is a partnership for the weekend,” said Robertson firmly.
“And it’s done all right this weekend. “We agreed to play
together a while back as we are both concentrating on mixed
doubles for the Olympics. So I was the most relaxed I have been
for about ten years.”
So
relaxed in fact that he enjoyed his own outrageous slip of the
tongue. Did it help having two such good mixed doubles pairs
spurring each other on before the Olympics, he was asked, a
routine suggestion with which he was in the process of agreeing.
“We need as good players as possible, and Anthony and Gail – I
mean Anthony and Donna, I don’t know what Anthony and Gail are
doing,” he interposed. “They are fantastic,” he concluded,
managing in the process to end the tournament with laughter.
Three for Cann as
Clark & Kellogg retain their title
Elizabeth Cann claimed her third National title in four
years as she beat Tracey Hallam in straight games in the ladies'
final at the Velodrome.
Cann raced out to a big lead in the first game, and although
Hallam closed the gap a comeback never really looked on. Cann
led 6/2 in the second, but this time Hallam quickly caught back
up, and took the lead at the interval.
From there it was neck and neck until 19-all, Cann usually the
one to take a brief lead. The last rally, with Cann leading
20-19, was momentous, with Cann getting the better of it to
retain her title.
John Hyde talks to
Elizabeth
Earlier Jonathan Clark and
Donna Kellogg had retained their mixed doubles title with a
comprehensive win over Robin Middleton and Liza Smith - both aim
for another title later today.
Ouseph takes his first,
two for Kellogg & Clark ...
Rajiv Ouseph denied Aamir Ghaffar his third title as the
top seed took the men's final in three games. Ouseph took the
first but some determined play from Ghaffar and careless errors
from Ouseph saw the score levelled.
Ouseph came out firing in the third though, reaching the
interval at 11/1, and that proved too big a hill for Ghaffar to
climb as Ouseph took his first senior National title.
John Hyde talks to
Rajiv
In the women's doubles Donna
Kellogg and Tracey Hallam held a good lead in the first game
but let it slip, losing it 22/24. The next two games were
equally competitive but seconds Natalie Munt and Jo Nicholas
couldn't repeat the feat in the next two games as the scratch
pairing took the title.
Anthony Clark also completed his second Nationals double
in a row as he took the men's doubles in straight games with
partner Nathan Robertson. Their young opponents led in
the early stages of both games but the experienced pairing soon
pulled back and eased ahead to take both games with reasonable
ease.
Finals Preview:
Trebles and Doubles in their sights
Finals
day sees three players aiming to win their third National
singles titles, and three players looking to win a pair of
titles today.
Anthony Clark & Donna Kellogg start proceedings and will
be favourites to retain their mixed doubles title as the first
step in their doubles title bids.
Then it's the women's singles where Tracey Hallam and
Elizabeth Cann have each won the title twice in the past
four years - one of them will claim a hat-trick today.
That's the prize on offer for Aamir Ghaffar too, but he
is up against top seed Rajiv Ouseph who is higher-ranked
and will be desperately keen to win his first Nationals title.
Hallam and Kellogg then team up in the women's doubles, so they
could end up with four titles between them today.
Finally it's the men's doubles with Anthony Clark looking
to pick up two title just as he did last year. Partner Nathan
Robinson has been on last all week so will no doubt be keen
to finish on a high ...
Cann
takes three as 
“It
eases the pain from earlier in the day,” said Hallam, after her
doubles success. “So I’m definitely pleased. I’m disappointed
that Gail isn’t here, but I hope she is back to full fitness to
be with us for the Uber Cup,” she added, referring to fact that
she only took part as a last moment substitute for Emms, the
other half of the European women's doubles winning partnership.
That
is partly the result not only of improved results, but of
greater fitness from a long summer training sessions. “I knew I
was in fine shape,” she said.
“I’m
very pleased because I was a little bit nervous going into it,”
admitted the 21-year-old winner. “It was good to play Aamir who
has helped me my whole career and I hope we can be in a winning
England team in the Thomas Cup (later this month)”.
The
fifth-seeded Ghaffar appeared to feel that in the circumstances
he had done well. “It was a tough day,” he said. “I am getting
fitter slowly and slowly. 
So
relaxed in fact that he enjoyed his own outrageous slip of the
tongue. Did it help having two such good mixed doubles pairs
spurring each other on before the Olympics, he was asked, a
routine suggestion with which he was in the process of agreeing.
