Greg Mairs and Tom Wolfenden finally banished their second-place heartache by getting their hands on a men’s doubles title at the English National Badminton Championships.
Mairs was defeated in the men’s doubles final while Wolfenden lost out in the mixed doubles showpiece 12 months ago.
This time they were not to be disappointed, though it was a case of second time lucky on the day for Wolfenden, who contested the mixed doubles final with Jenny Moore, but finished as runners-up.
Manchester’s Mairs and Liverpool’s Wolfenden started the day with a convincing victory over number one seeds Zach Russ and Steven Stallwood beating them 21-16 21-8.
Before the duo triumphed in the final in Winchester beating young pair Rory Easton and Ethan Van Leeuwen 18-21 21-12 21-12.
Having already played in a final and lost, Wolfenden was pleased to put things right alongside Mairs.
“It’s what we came here to do – to win a title,” Wolfenden said. “I was disappointed at the mixed doubles earlier, so I wanted to come out here and get a win.
“Credit to the boys they played their part, we had to change our tactics after the first set but we’re happy to get the win.”
With young pairings continuously knocking on the door throughout the tournament, Mairs believes the duo’s experience paid dividends.
“I think in this game we felt under pressure and we weren’t really in the first set,” Mairs added.
“If you’re a little off, they’ll come at you and are really dangerous, as we’ve both experienced in the mixed. I’m really glad we could use our experience to get it over the line and turn it around.”
For results and more information on the English National Badminton Championships, visit badmintonengland.co.uk
Photo credits: Alan Spink and Craig Burgess Photography
