Badminton: NZ men qualify, women falter

4.40pm

SYDNEY - The New Zealand men's badminton team will compete in May's Thomas Cup in Indonesia for the first time after sweeping aside Australia 4-1 in their Oceania qualifying series in Victoria last night.

Despite missing key player Daniel Shirley with an ankle injury the New Zealanders reeled off four straight victories after dropping the opening rubber at the Ballarat Badminton Stadium.

Australia started ominously when Stuart Brehaut defeated Shirley's replacement John Moody in straight games but the experienced Geoff Bellingham redressed the balance when he was too strong for Stuart Gomez.

New Zealand took the lead when John Gordon triumphed over recently eligible former Vietnamese player Hung Pham.

Bellingham and doubles partner Craig Cooper sealed the tie when they beat top Australian pairing Ashley Brehaut and Travis Denney while Gordon and Moody wrapped up the dead rubber in straight games over Boyd Cooper and Stuart Brehaut.

On Friday the Australian women beat their New Zealand counterparts to qualify for the Uber Cup which is run concurrently with the Thomas Cup in Jakarta.

Results:-

Thomas Cup (NZ names first): John Moody lost to Stuart Brehaut 11-15 3-15; Geoff Bellingham beat Stuart Gomez 15-7 15-7; John Gordon bt Hung Pham 15-6 15-8; Bellingham/Craig Cooper bt Ashley Brehaut/Travis Denney 15-11 4-15 15-11; Gordon/Moody bt Boyd Cooper/Stuart Brehaut 15-10 15-11.

Uber Cup: Rebecca Gordon bt Lenny Permana 11-4 2-11 11-8; Rachel Hindley lost to Kellie Lucas 3-11 2-11; Nicole Gordon lost to Jane Crabtree 7-11 8-11; Sara Runesten Petersen/Rebecca Gordon lost to Kate Wilson-Smith/Crabtree 13-15 8-15; Nicole Gordon/Lianne Shirley lost to Lucas ermana 15-8 10-15 13-15.

- NZPA