Double triumph for Marcus Ellis sees him keep English medal hopes alive

2016 Olympic bronze medallist Ellis, from Huddersfield, booked his place in the last 16 of both the men’s and mixed doubles in front of a raucous English crowd, joining forces with Smith and Chris Langridge to keep his hopes of glory alive.

The decorated 30-year-old eased past Japanese mixed pair Takuro Hoki and Wakana Nagahara 21-9 21-15 alongside Smith, teeing up a second round clash with fourth seeds Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino.

And in the men’s competition Ellis and Langridge beat Di Zijian and Wang Chang after a third game decider, coming through 21-16 to book a date with world No.5 pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto.

“Both of these matches in the first round were real banana skins, but at the same time they were really winnable,” Ellis said.

“This is really big for me and Chris, even just winning this game – it’s not even just in regards to points, and it’s just really, really important for our partnership in the doubles.

“And when Lauren and I are at our best we just make ourselves very hard to beat.”

It was first round heartbreak for Chris and Gabrielle Adcock in the mixed doubles, however, as they lost a disappointing clash with eighth seeds Hafiz Faizal and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja.

Witness Legends Begin at the 2020 Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships at Arena Birmingham between March 11-15. Secure your tickets at https://www.allenglandbadminton.com