Badminton seedings go north

Press, 9 August 1980, Page 16

Badminton seedings go north

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Anyone in doubt as to where the strength of New Zealand badminton . lies, need look no further than the recently-announced seedings for the national championships, to be held

in Christchurch early next month. The seedings follow a well-worn palh, with only three players from the South Island, Diane Erikson of Canterbury, and the Skelt brothers, Nigel and Peter, gaining places. Last year, the 16 singles seedings included five from the south. But of those five, Alison Ross is now overseas and Steve Wilson has moved to Waikato. The respective standards of badminton in the North and South Islands are graphically illustrated by Wisden Cup and Division II results of the past few seasons. Yet the seedings for this year’s championships do contain some mildly surprising placements. In the men’s singles, Wilson, the defending champion, has been dropped to. the. No. 2 spot, below the experienced Bryan Purser. Wilson, a personable. 26-year-old with plenty of ability, • would appear to have been dropped from the top place • largely on the strength of his loss in straight games to Purser at the Wisden Cup last month. During the Cup, there was an . interesting sequence of results which had Purser beating Wilson in two games, Wilson beating the No. 3 seed, Graeme Robson, in two games and Robson beating

Philip Horne,, the No. 5 seed, also in straight games. Evidently, Wilson was well below his best form in Dunedin. Purser, however, is .imgood touch and, although, he has , be.en around for a long time, is still only 29. There is certain to be a tough battle for the semifinal places., Unlike some sports which are .dominated by a handful of players, there are several who could, and will be determined to, make a - big impression. The performance of Horne will be keenly watched. The top seed for the intermediate title last year only to be beaten by Wanganui’s Kevin Ross in the final, he has considerable promise and this could prove to be his year to make an impact on the national rankings. The expected closeness of the contest is perhaps best evidenced by the placing at No. 7 of Jacob van Seim. The Wellingtonian might well be a little low in the list, but this might yet work to his benefit, depending on the outcome of the draw. With players of the calibre and potential of Ross, the Skelt brothers and Peter Whiting not having made the top eight, a tight struggle for places in the final four can be expected. - Miss Erikson appeared

somewhat bemused when told of her top seeding for the women’s event. She has been placed ahead, of Alison Sinton and Lyn Shirley, the; sisters.- from Waitemata.

111-health affected Miss Erikson at . tire Wisden Cup. She took Gaynor Weatherley to three games in the match against North Shore when, by rights, she -should , 'have been laid low by a heavy dose of influenza. ■ .

But by giving her the No. 1 spot, the New Zealand Badminton Federation has given her a chance -to prove herself the country’s top player. It is a chance which she dare not ignore. Lyn Duncan, Mesdames Sinton and Shirley, and Toni Whittaker will all be looking for solid showings with the naming of the Über Cup team not far away. ' . * The men’s doubles' is probably the most '; clearcut of the events,.- Purser and his brother,-' Richard, must be hot favourites for the title with t the - ‘ Skelt"; brothers, seeded .No. 2, certainly the leading con-, tenders to meet , the Pursers in the final. Mrs Sinton and Mrs Shirley should dominate the women’s doubles,- but Miss Whittaker and Miss Erikson, seeded : secopd, should provide" a reason- 1 able challenge. 1 The mixed: doubles is a fairly open .field, ..headed by Richard r Purser arid Miss Erikson. There are several relatively inexperiended combinations and the seedings might count for very little in the final reckoning.