ENGLISH National champion Elizabeth Cann has hit form just at
the right time as she prepares to defend her title at Manchester
Velodrome in just over six weeks.
The 28-year-old Jersey player, ranked No 38 in the world, reached two
finals in the last four weeks, winning the Yonex Irish Open and
finishing runner-up in the Bank of Scotland Centenary Scottish
International Championships.
And only last week she reached the quarter-finals of the Italian
International in Rome before losing to eventual winner and second seed
Juliane Schenk of Germany.
Now she is looking forward to the English National Championships at
Manchester Velodrome from February 1-3 when she will be aiming
to win the women's singles title for the third time since the
tournament moved to Manchester five years ago.
"Everything has just come together recently," said the Milton
Keynes-based England No 2. "I am coached by Yvette Yun Luo at the
National Badminton Centre but I have also had some coaching recently
off men's singles Asger Madsen. It's good to get different ideas from
the coaches. It's just been a question of everything you learn on the
practice courts coming together in the tournaments."
Already she has identified her main rivals as Tracey Hallam
(Staffs) and Jill Pittard (Warks). Pittard, who lost to Cann in
this year's final, has also hit form recently, winning the Welsh Open
title at the start of December.
She and Cann will be among as many as 140 players from up to 30
counties competing in the Championships, which will once again be
staged in Manchester thanks to the successful partnership between
BADMINTON England, Manchester City Council, top badminton brand
Carlton, footwear giants Hi-Tec and retailers
sportdiscount.com
with additional support from the Manchester Evening News.
Among the other big names competing will be Commonwealth gold
medallists and former world champions Nathan Robertson (Notts)
and Gail Emms (Herts), the Olympic silver medallists, and
defending mixed doubles champions Anthony Clark (Notts) and
Donna Kellogg (Derbyshire).
In the men's singles Nick Kidd (Bucks) will be bidding for a
third men's singles title, Emms and Donna Kellogg will be out to
retain their women's doubles title while the end of Robert Blair
(Leics) and Clark's partnership could lead to new winners of the men's
doubles title. Scottish Centenary Open winners Blair and David
Lindley (Notts) will be the fancied pair but young stars Robert
Adcock (Notts) and Robin Middleton (Yorks) might be the
heirs apparent.
The big question is will Clark enter the men's doubles with a surprise
partner of will he simply continue to concentrate on mixed doubles in
the countdown to the Beijing Olympics.
"Everything
has just come together recently. I am coached by Yvette Yun Luo at the
National Badminton Centre but I have also had some coaching recently off
men's singles Asger Madsen. It's good to get different ideas from the
coaches. It's just been a question of everything you learn on the
practice courts coming together in the tournaments.