Badminton: Doubles triumph for New Zealand at Dutch Open

New Zealand badminton players Dan Shirley and John Gordon gave themselves a boost for the Commonwealth Games by beating one of England's top doubles teams to win the men's doubles title at the Dutch Open yesterday.

Ranked 64th in the world as a pairing, Shirley and Gordon won the final 7-3, 7-4, 7-5.

They now look likely to be seeded at the Manchester Games in July, which will improve their medal chances.

Jeffrey and Palethorpe are ranked 35th in the world as a combination and were the second seeds for the tournament.

Shirley and Gordon also won the Frederikshavn doubles title in Denmark a month ago.