An unforgettable experience
LOUGHBOROUGH-BASED STAR MAKES DEBUT IN ALL ENGLAND
BADMINTON star Jess Hopton described her Yonex All England debut as an unforgettable experience despite defeat in the women’s doubles with partner Jenny Moore, writes Jacob Newbury of Sportsbeat.
The English duo were handed a walkover in the first round but were beaten 21-18, 21-7 by Malaysian pair Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, winners of the Swiss Open earlier this month.
After an encouraging opening game in Birmingham, Hopton and Moore were unable to adapt to the ever-changing conditions in the arena but insist there are plenty of positives to take moving forward.
“They were really good in the conditions and stepped up well in the second set,” said Loughboroughbased Hopton.
“In the first set, they picked the slower end and were really good at opening out.
“They were whipping us around the back of the court and stepping up to block which made it difficult to compete.”
Moore added: “The ends were so different. One was super slow and the other was super fast.
“It is a huge learning curve for when we play in these types of arenas again. We couldn’t adapt to the conditions quickly enough.”
A bizarre incident in the first set could have provided extra nerves for Hopton in front of the television cameras when a string on her racket broke.
“A couple of rackets break here and there but not often,” she said.
“We had a clash of rackets a cou
I’ve been coming here for over ten years and to step on to centre court was a really good feeling
Jess Hopton
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
ple of moments before and when I hit a defensive shot it felt weird.
“I then hit the second shot and the string just flew sideways.”
Nevertheless, the ordeal did not dampen Hopton’s memories of the Super 1000 showpiece.
“It was amazing,” said the 24-yearold. “I’ve been coming here for over ten years and to step on to centre court was a really good feeling.
“To have all the cameras there too was a great experience too.”
The All England, one of only three Super 1000 tournaments on the BWF World Tour, was one of the last sporting events to be staged before the Covid pandemic struck last March.
■ Following a tough year for everyone, the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships marks the first step in inspiring people to get back on court as soon as they can.
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