EUROPEANS – Demark Champions but only just!!

Denmark retained their European crown at the Echo Arena in Liverpool this evening but only after been taken right to the wire by a determined English team. In a surprise turn of events Denmark lost both the mixed doubles and men’s singles to trail the English by two matches only to turn it around by winning the remaining three matches to claim the title by 3 matches to two


By Mark Phelan. Photos: badmintonphoto.com (live in Liverpool)


Denmark entered the arena today as strong favourites to retain the title they won in Herning last year and it was a foolish man that would have bet against them. In fact one eminent commentator said it was theirs to loose and in some respects they did there best to do just that early on.

Denmark fielded the world number six pair of Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christina Pedersen in the first mixed doubles match after using Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl in yesterday’s semi final. The Danes were up against top English pair and veterans of the Super Series tour, Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg. The English pair stormed into an early lead as they left the Danes in their dust as they sprinted to a 21-10 win in the opening set. In the second set the Danes seemed to find their rhythm as they never let the English out of their sights as both sides traded point for point for the bulk of the set. At 21-20 to the Danes it appeared that they might have the edge to take the game to a deciding rubber but the English had other ideas and rattled off 3 points without reply to take the set and the match 2-0.

Next up was the men’s singles and many felt that world number 6 Joachim Persson had the game to leave Andrew Smith (photo up) in his wake. Smith obviously thriving on the atmosphere in the stadium controlled the opening set to win 21-16 in a game that he was never headed. In the second set Persson had his chances and at 18-15 looked like taking the English number one to a third set. Smith then won the next five points to set up match point at 20-18 and even though Persson managed one more point Smith wrapped up the match to send the crowd wild and to give the home nation an unexpected 2-0 lead in this best of 5 final.

Tine Rasmussen then appeared on court and as Denmark’s banker it was clear she was in no mood to let her lower ranked opponent get into the match and get the crowd on her side. In a match that lasted only 25 minutes Rasmussen eased to a 21-14 21-10. Only once did the great Dane ever surrender the lead in this match and that was when Cann went 1-0 up at the beginning of the second set. What a player to have on your team and with her win brought her Denmark team back into the overall match at 2-1 to England.

In the men’s doubles the Danes fielded the in form pairing of Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen They were up against the English might of Clark and Robertson and one felt that this match was to be the key if either side were going to claim victory. This was an excellent match that had it all, drama, excitement and some tremendous badminton from some of the world’s best exponents. The Danes took the opening set 21-17 but the wily English battled back to level with a 21-16 win in the second. In the deciding rubber it was the Danes who held their nerve to keep the English in their rear view mirror for the entire set as they took the game 21-15 and in doing so levelled the overall match score 2-2 to send the match down to the wire.

The final match of this European championships would be fought out between Jenny Wallwork and Donna Kellogg for England and Kamilla Rytter Juhl and Marie Ropke for Denmark. In the first set the Danes seized the initiative when going to a 6 point winning streak to take a 18-11 lead and from that there was no recovery for the English. The second set continued in much the same mould as the previous with the Danes etching out a slender 6-3 lead early on. The Danes were now growing in confidence and both Ropke and Rytter Juhl’s calm demeanour on court was never going to be threatened by the partisan crowd. The Danes continued to press home their advantage and bit by bit frustrated the English pair to the point at 18-11 no one could envisage any way back for the new English pairing. The Danes wrapped up the game with a 21-15 win and with it the title as European Champions yet again.

“I'm so disappointed because we’d been 2-0 up in the match but just couldn’t finish them off.We hadn't played the Danish girls before but we knew it was going to be tough.“Kamilla Juhl is number one in the world at mixed and the plan was to try and play on the younger girl (Marie Roepke) but they were too strong. It's been a hard week, especially for Donna who has had to play two events on the same day. Personally, I’ve been pleased as myself and Nathan Robertson have started to gel as a pair and we had a good victory over the Ukrainians so there’s plenty to be positive about going into the All England Championships in Birmingham next month.” Wallwork told the Bolton News after her heartbreaking defeat

In what was an amazing tournament played at an amazing venue it is truly fitting that best team throughout the week should claim the ultimate prize. That prize as gold in the European Championships will be taken back to Denmark yet again as once again the Danish set the benchmark for everyone else to follow. England too can be proud of their achievements as they continue to develop ahead of the 2012 Olympics and congratulations to Poland and Russia who claimed historic bronze medals for their nations.