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MALMO (Sweden), April 20: Danish All-England champion Camilla Martin’s record-breaking bid was halted by Yao Jie, the former Chinese national squad player from the Netherlands, in the semifinals of the European Badminton Championships.
Martin had been trying for a fourth title, which would have been a record for either singles event, but from two games ahead she collapsed to let Yao in with a 0-7,2-7,7-0,7-3,7-1 victory which left Martin upset and demoralised.
Yao played a canny game, moving Martin about and weakening her, but it became apparent during the fifth game that there was something significantly wrong with the top-seeded titleholder.
Martin stalked around the court at 0-4 as though walking on hot coals, and then hobbled to the side of the court at 0-5 and asked the umpire if she could undo her shoe-laces.
When Yao kept the rallies going and then pushed a shuttle accurately to the net at 5-1, Martin did not go for it. The match was over shortly afterwards.
Men’s singles Kenneth Jonassen (Denmark) bt Rasmus Wengberg (Sweden) 7-1 8-7 7-4; Peter Rasmussen (Denmark) bt Anders Boesen (Denmark) 5-7 7-5 5-7 7-4 7-5
Women’s singles Jie Yao (Netherlands) bt Camilla Martin (Denmark) 0-7 2-7 7-0 7-3 7-1; Mia Audina Tjiptawan (Netherlands) bt Brenda Beenhakker (Netherlands) 7-1 8-6 7-1
Men’s doubles Anthony Clark/Nathan Robertson (Britain) beat Lars Paaske/Jonas Rasmussen (Denmark) 7-3 1-7 7-1 8-6; Jens Eriksen/Martin Lundgaard Hansen (Denmark) bt Michal Logosz/Robert Mateusiak (Poland) 7-1 8-6 7-1
Women’s doubles Jane F. Bramsen/Ann-Lou Jorgensen (Denmark) bt Ella Miles/Sara Sankey (England) 2-7 7-4 7-0 7-0; Pernille Harder/Mette Schjoldager (Denmark) bt Nicole Grether/Nicol Pitro (Germany) 7-1 3-7 7-4 2-7 7-1
Mixed doubles Jens Eriksen/Mette Schjoldager (Denmark) bt Chris Bruil/Lotte Jonathans (Netherlands) 6-8 7-3 2-7 7-3 7-2; Nathan Robertson/Gail Emms (England) bt Michael Soegaard/Rikke Olsen (Denmark) 6-8 7-2 7-1 7-5.—AFP
