Wolf hungry to Smash his way to title glory
TOM Wolfenden has unfinished business when it comes to the AJ Bell National Badminton League, with the Liverpool-born star determined to finally get his hands on the trophy this time around.
Wolfenden, from Maghull, is gearing up for his third consecutive season as part of the Surrey Smashers side with the curtain raiser for the new season taking place next Monday when his team host Loughborough Lightning in one of two fixtures across the country on the opening night.
So far it’s been a case of close but not close enough for the Wolfenden and the team after they missed out on a place in the final of the inaugural league two years ago despite dominating results heading into the Finals day.
Last season there was even more disappointment after they failed to even make the play-offs, finishing outside the top four during the regular season.
But buoyed by the presence of Olympic men’s doubles bronze medalist and captain Chris Langridge, 22-year-old Wolfenden is confident this season can be the one when the Smashers finally break through.
“I’m really excited to get back into action, it feels like such a long time since the NBL finished last season, we’ve had a hard summer of training and we’re ready to get going,” he said.
“I think we’ve got a really good team this season, we didn’t perform as well as we would have wanted to last season but I think we have a strong enough squad that we can actually win it this year. I do believe we can win it.
“If we were to win the title, it would mean a lot to all of us individually but as a club as well.
“We had a very good start in our first season in the NBL; we owned the league before we got to the play-offs but since then we haven’t quite achieved what we would have liked to but it would mean a lot to Surrey Smashers.
“I think Marcus (Ellis) and Chris (Langridge) have inspired a lot of people to pick up badminton or even gain an interest or learn something about badminton after their Olympic bronze.
“I hope that shows with the crowds that come and see us play. It gives you a buzz, an extra one or ten per cent to perform even better.”
The Smashers face a tricky opening fixture with last season’s beaten finalists Loughborough Lightning no doubt keen to bounce back after losing out on the trophy to Birmingham Lions.
Wolfenden is also set for an intriguing encounter against regular men’s doubles partner Peter Briggs, although he intends to use the inside knowledge to his advantage.
“We’re playing Loughborough in our first match; it is a tough match, because they’ve performed well over the last couple of years,” he added.
“If we perform to our best I think we can get the upper hand so it will be an interesting fixture.
“I will be playing against my men’s doubles partner Peter Briggs which is always an interesting affair we both know each other’s game inside out, so it will be a tough match but I believe we can get the win.
“He’s an awkward player, he’s a bit taller than myself, I do know his strengths and weaknesses and hopefully I can exploit his weaknesses.”
The 2016/17 season of the AJ Bell National Badminton League starts on Monday 17 October. For fixtures, tickets and team news, visit: www.nationalbadmintonleague or follow @NBL_ official on Twitte