• Badminton

Adcock & Bankier triumph in crucial battle of Britain

ESPN staff
March 15, 2012
Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier were stretched to the limit © PA Photos
Enlarge

Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier put themselves in pole position to be selected as Team GB's representatives for London 2012, after they beat rivals Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork in a agonising contest at the Swiss Open.

In a match that went the full distance, Adcock and Bankier eventually emerged victorious - breaking the hearts of their opponents in an exhausting 19-21 21-11 25-23 triumph.

While the result does not condemn Robertson and Wallwork to the sidelines during the forthcoming Olympics, it leaves Adcock and Bankier - the higher ranked pair - far more likely to be the duo selected for Team GB's sole spot in the mixed doubles.

They will almost certainly be awarded the spot if, as now expected, they remain the higher ranked pair on May 3, when the spot is decided. Adcock and Bankier are currently listed at world No. 14 - their rivals No. 17 - and there are just four significant events still to be played before that date.

A hard-fought race for much of the past year, the quarter-final match in Basel summed up the minimal difference between the two partnerships, a state of affairs that makes the big prize on offer all the more dramatic.

Both sides faced match points in the third set, but ultimately it was Adcock and Bankier who kept their nerves under control the better - as they finally eked out the two-point advantage they needed to clinch the decisive third set 25-23.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices