Two English pairings finished as runners-up after successful outings at the 2023 FORZA Dutch International.
Brandon Yap and Annie Lado were beaten finalists in the mixed doubles competition while Rory Easton and Zach Russ reached the same stage in the men’s doubles, going down in a decider against Japan’s Kazuhiro Ichikawa and Daiki Umayahara.
Unseeded pair Yap and Lado were given stern tests in the early rounds, starting with a 22-20 21-16 victory over Dutch duo Timo Stoffelen and Iris van Leijsen before seeing off Germany’s Jarne Schlevoigt and Julia Meyer 21-15 21-19.
Progress was more serene in the last eight, Australia’s Rayne Wang and Angela Yu beaten 21-8 21-18, while three games were needed to overcome Su Li-Wei and Lee Chih-Chen (21-6 13-21 21-8).
That victory set up a final against second seeds Kenneth Zhe Hooi Choo and Gronya Somerville, who reeled off six straight points at 18-15 down to take the opener.
It was Yap and Lado’s turn to fight back in the second game, narrowing a gap from 17-10 to 18-17, but the Australians held firm to take it 23-21.
#DutchInternational2023 🏸 It’s not everyday that one of our players get recognized & awarded as “Sportsman of the Tournament” 🌟
🏴 Brandon Yap was nominated by the umpires and service judges of the tournament. @TobyPenty won it in 2018 🙌🏽
Well done Brandon 🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/KNbKUecl0W
— Badminton England (@BadmintonEnglnd) April 15, 2023
Easton and Russ, meanwhile, went in to the men’s doubles draw as top seeds and justified that status early on as they came through the first three rounds without dropping a game.
They had to come from behind against France’s Mael Cattoen and Lucas Renoir in the last four, prevailing 17-21 21-13 21-16, to set up the showpiece against Ichikawa and Umayahara.
The English pair took the opener 21-13 but the next two nip-and-tuck games went the way of the Japanese duo, who won them 21-18 21-19 to secure the prize.
Elsewhere, Samuel Jones and Sian Kelly claimed a notable 21-12 21-14 win over Dutch fourth seeds Brian Wassink and Alyssa Tirtosentono on their way to the mixed doubles quarter-finals, where Su and Lee denied them a last four clash with compatriots Yap and Lado.
Third seeds Steven Stallwood and Hope Warner also reached the last eight, the stage also reached by Stallwood and Jones in the men’s doubles – in which Yap and Alex Green were beaten in the first round.
Freya Redfearn came through consecutive three-game clashes before going down to fifth seed Amalie Schulz in the women’s singles quarter-finals, while Ashwati Nair fell at the first hurdle against Thi Anh Thu Vu.
Johnnie Torjussen and Larry Pong both reached the second round of the men’s singles, a stage further than Harry Huang and Rohan Midha. Also exiting at the first round stage were Green and Lizzie Tolman in the mixed doubles.
