22 November, 2023
English hopes were cut short at the LI-NING China Masters 2023 as Ben Lane and Sean Vendy and Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith were both knocked out on the opening day.
The men’s and mixed doubles pairings were the only English talents in Shenzhen but their runs ended early at the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament.
Lane and Vendy were handed a tough opening-round draw against top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India.
And the task proved too much as the duo lost 21-13 21-10 at the Shenzhen Bay Gymnasium.
It was a similar story for Ellis and Smith who were drawn against Republic of Korea’s Kim Won Ho and Jeong Na Eun, the seventh seeds in the mixed doubles category.
Kim and Jeong took the first game 21-11 to put Ellis and Smith at an early disadvantage.
And despite the English pair’s best efforts in the second game, winning four consecutive points at one stage, they tumbled out with a 21-16 loss.
Attention turns to Botswana International 2023 where more England talent will look to make a mark in the Future Series.
Image: Yohan Nonotte via Badmintonphoto
