Joe Wu had one of his best days in badminton at the finals of the New Zealand Championships as he won three national titles: mens singles, mens doubles and mixed doubles. In this era it is uncommon for one player to dominate all three events at a national championships as players tend to specialise in one or two events only
Five national titles were decided at the New Zealand Championships played at North Harbour over the weekend. This was the inaugural New Zealand Championships whereby players must be eligible to represent NZ to enter the tournament, previously the New Zealand Open has been accepted as the New Zealand National Championships however with the growth in the New Zealand Open which now has a large and strong international entry this new event was needed to find out our champions in each discipline
Joe Wu would have to be crowned “Player of the Tournament” winning triple national titles: men’s singles, men’s doubles with Oliver Leydon-Davis and mixed doubles with Danielle Barry.
As with any tournament there were surprise results; most notably in the semi-final of the men’s doubles when ex-international Kerrin Harrison and partner Leck Tham, from North Harbour defeated national squad members James Eunson and Kevin Dennerly-Minturn in what was one of the closest matches of the tournament. The women’s singles final result was another surprise with Melissa Leviana (NH) defeating NZ team member Anna Rankin in two straight games, Melissa thriving on the support from her home crowd.
The men’s singles final was team mate against team mate, the established vs the up and coming, Joe Wu (Wko) vs James Eunson (Sth). Joe started strongly, totally dominating James, forcing him into a number of unforced errors, winning the first game easily. James came back in the second game with some good attacking but at the end of the day Joe was too strong winning the match 21-8 21-19. Michael Fowke (Wko) was too strong for Dean Nuttall (NH) winning the 3-4 play-off in two games.
As expected the pace and speed of NZ Team mates Joe Wu and Oliver Leydon-Davis was too much for Harrison and Tham in the men’s doubles final, winning comfortably in two games. In the 3-4 play-off James Eunson and Kevin Dennerly-Minturn had to work hard to beat the NZ Junior Representatives Luke Charlesworth and Brock Matheson.
It was a good day for the Melissa’s from North Harbour in the women’s singles with Melissa Leviana winning the title and Melissa Yin defeating Waikato’s Amanda Brown in the 3-4 play-off.
The women’s doubles final was always going to be another interesting matchup; the young vs the experienced. Kritteka Gregory and Mary O’Connor (Wtk) playing the experienced doubles player Danielle Barry and ex-Peru National squad player Doriana Rivera. Experience again won the day, 21-17 24-22. The 3-4 play-off was an all junior match with the Waikato pairing of Amanda Brown and Susannah Leydon-Davis too strong for the sisters Anona and Aviva Pak from North Harbour.
The mixed doubles final was the only final to go to three games, a match which lasted 49 minutes, each game being won by the narrowest of margins. Joe Wu and Danielle Barry defeating Oliver Leydon-Davis and Catherine Moody 21-23 21-19 21-19; giving Joe his third title of the championships, what a great way to finish the domestic season.
Results
Men’s Singles:
Final
Joe Wu (Wko) def James Eunson (Sth) 21-8 21-19
3-4 playoff
Michael Fowke (Wko) def Dean Nuttall (NH) 21-16 21-19
Women’s Singles
Melissa Leviana (NH) def Anna Rankin (Sth) 21-18 21-15
3-4 Play-off
Melissa Yin (NH) def Amanda Brown (Wko) 21-17 16-21 21-10
Men’s Doubles
Final
Joe Wu/Oliver Leydon-Davis (Wko) def Kerrin Harrison/Leck Tham (NH) 21-13 21-16
3-4 play-off
Kevin Dennerly-Minturn (Ak)/James Eunson (Sth) def Luke Charlesworth (Wtk)/Brock Matheson (NH) 21-18 21-19
Women’s Doubles
Final
Danielle Barry (Wtk)/Doriana Rivera (Wko) def Kritteka Gregory/Mary O'Connor (Wtk) 21-17 24-22
3-4 play-off
Amanda Brown/Susannah Leydon-Davis (Wko) def Anona Pak/Aviva Pak (NH) 17-21 21-16 21-17
Mixed Doubles
Final
Joe Wu (Wko)/Danielle Barry (Wtk) def Oliver Leydon-Davis (Wko)/Catherine Moody (Wtk) 21-23 21-19 21-19
3-4 Play-off
James Eunson (Sth)/Stephanie Cheng (Ak) def Kevin Dennerly-Minturn/Emma Rodgers (Ak) 22-20 11-21 21-12
Click for the draws and results
Saturday Night:
There have been some very interesting match-ups at the New Zealand Championships being played at North Harbour as New Zealand's top players battle for the honour of National Champion. Joe Wu has stamped his mark on the tournament as he will contest three finals
In a new initiative there will be a play-off for the third place between the two losing semi-finalists with the winner of that match being awarded a bronze medal and prize money
The mens singles final will be a battle betwen the two mens singles players from the Whyte Trophy series; Joe Wu and James Eunson. Wu has had an untroubled road to the final, comfortably winning his matches, Eunson has had to work a bit harder; being pushed all the way by former National Coach Tjitte Weistra to win 21-19 21-19 and then having a close three game battle against another Waikato player Michael Fowke.
In the womens singles Anna Rankin has continued her winning way from Invercargil and will play North Harbour's Melissa Leviana, who defeated second seed Amanda Brown in the semi-finals.
In the womens doubles second seeds Anna Rankin and Stephanie Cheng were defeated by the unseeded pair of Danielle Barry and Doriana Riveria in what many consider may be the best match of the draw. Barry and Riveria have gone on to make the final and will play the Waitakere pairing of Mary O'Connor and Kritteka Gregory
One of the biggest upsets of the tournament was in the mens doubles, 1986 Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist Kerrin Harrison and partner Leck Tham defeated the favoured pairing of James Eunson and Kevin Dennerley-Minturn in two games to make the final.
The mixed doubles will again be decided between team mates from the Whyte Trophy team, the odd one out being Catherine Moody who is playing with Oliver Leydon-Davis. They will play Joe Wu and Danielle Barry who were pushed to three games in their semi-final by James Eunson and Stephanie Cheng.
Finals and the third forth play-offs commence at 12 noon Sunday
FRIDAY:
The inaugural New Zealand Championships start at North Harbour on Friday with members of the victorious Whyte Trophy looking to continue their winning ways. These championships are only open to "New Zealand" players; all entrants must meet the eligibility criteria to represent New Zealand At the end of the weekend we will have a true "New Zealand Champion" in each discipline. The New Zealand Open used to be classified our national championships however with the growth in recent years of the event which has now become a major international tournament the titles have gone off-shore and we have not been able to classify anyone as our New Zealand Champion, rather we have relied on ranking lists to determine who is top.
A new feature of this event is a play off between the two semi-finalists to find the third placed player in each event. This play-off will occur at the same time as the final of each event on Sunday
Seeds:
MS: 1- Joe Wu, 2- James Eunson, 3- Michael Fowke, 4 - Dean Nuttall
WS: 1 - Anna Rankin, 2 - Amanda Brown
MD: 1 - Oliver Leydon-Davis/Joe Wu, 2- Kevin Dennerley-Minturn/James Eunson
WD: 1 - Kritteka Gregory/Mary O'Connor, 2 - Stephanie Cheng/Anna Rankin
MX: 1 - Joe Wu/Danielle Barry, 2- Kevin Dennerley-Minturn/Emma Rodgers, 3- Oliver Leydon-Davis/Catherine Moody, 4 - James Eunson/Stephanie Cheng
Play starts Friday night 6pm with mixed doubles and singles.
Plates start 10am Saturday, Main draw - all events 11am
Finals and 3-4th Play-off - Sunday 12 noon
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