Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith reached the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Masters in the first of three major tournaments taking place in Bali.
Ellis and Smith entered the final Super 750 tournament of 2021 as fourth seeds and immediately set about showing why as they came through the first two rounds in straight sets.
Indonesian duo Alfian Eko Prasetya and Masita Mahmudin were first up and the English pair raced into an 11-4 lead in the opener.
Prasetya and Mahmudin closed the gap but Ellis and Smith held their nerve to take it 21-18 before winning the second set 21-15 to set up a clash with Kim Young Hyuk and Chae Yujung.
The Olympic quarter-finalists were in fine form once more, reeling off six consecutive points at a crucial time in the first set and keeping their noses in front in a neck-and-neck second to close out a 21-14, 21-17 success.
Another South Korean pair, Ko Sung-hyun and Eom Hye-won, lay in wait in the last eight and prevailed 21-17, 21-15 in a close encounter lasting 48 minutes.
Ellis/Smith Beaten at Indonesia Masters🇮🇩 @ellis_marcus111 and @LaurenE_Smith were edged out by Korean pair Sung Hyun Ko and Hye Won Eom 17-21 15-21 in 48 minutes, losing in the quarter finals.
Next up is the Indonesia Open💪 pic.twitter.com/K8PPVlV2bh
— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) November 19, 2021
Smith was also in action in the women’s doubles alongside Chloe Birch and the sixth seeds began with a dominant 21-10, 21-13 win over Ukrainian pair Mariia Stoliarenko and Yelyzaveta Zharka.
But Japan’s Chisato Hoshi and Aoi Matsuda proved a tougher nut to crack in the second round, the world no.44-ranked pairing coming out on top after a three-set epic.
Hoshi and Matsuda claimed the opener 21-17 but Birch and Smith levelled matters by taking the second 21-15.
The Japanese duo quickly seized control of the decider, however, and ran out 21-12 winners to book a spot in the last eight.
In the men’s doubles, Ben Lane and Sean Vendy were handed a tough draw against Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik but took the fifth seeds into a decider after winning the second set 21-15.
The Malaysian pair’s quality then shone through as they ruthlessly saw out a 21-8 triumph in the third to end Lane and Vendy’s progress at the first hurdle.
All three English pairs are back in action at next week’s Indonesia Open, a Super 1000 event.
The YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships return to Utilita Arena Birmingham with the best players from around the world from 16th – 20th March 2022.
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