Badminton: Two NZers through to International semis

New Zealand will have two players in the women's singles semifinals at the New Zealand Badminton International in Auckland tomorrow.

Former Chinese national Li Xu and Whyte Trophy rep Rebecca Gordon scored good quarterfinal victories today to keep local hopes alive.

Gordon, 25, beat second seed Ragna Ingolfsdottir of Iceland in three games in one of her better wins this year.

Gordon could have wrapped the match up in straight games after winning the first set 11-4 and racing to a 5-0 lead in the second but then appeared to lose concentration eventually dropping the set 9-11.

She wrapped up the match 11-5 in the third game.

Gordon teamed up with elder sister Nicole to also beat Ingolfsdottir and countrywoman Sara Jonsdottir, the doubles top seeds, in straight games.

Gordon now faces Ireland's Bing Huang, who easily accounted for Australian fourth seed Kellie Lucas in straight games.

Xu, 28, and now living in Auckland, gained her place in the semis by beating third seed Nigella Saunders from Jamaica 11-9 11-6.

In the men's singles quarterfinals Simon Koo, 17, from Waitakere became the last New Zealander to bow out of the singles.

Koo was beaten by sixth seed Arturo Ruiz from Spain 15-9 15-6.

Ruiz plays second seed Shoji Sato in the semis after Sato beat Jamaican Charles Pyne in straight games.

Top seed and world No 11 Hidetaka Yamada of Japan made plenty of noise as he beat German fifth seed Roman Spitko in straight games to reach the semis.

He will now play seventh seed Jan Frolich from the Czech Republic.

There was extra success for the New Zealand women in the doubles with Rachel Hindley and Lianne Shirley beating the Australian second seeds Kellie Lucas and Tania Luiz in the first round in straight games.

Results (prefix denotes seeding):-

Men

Singles quarterfinals: 1-Hidetaka Yamada (Japan) bt 5-Roman Spitko (Germany) 15-12 15-9, 7-Jan Frolich (Czech Republic) bt 3-Yuichi Ikeda (Japan) 15-13 15-10, 6-Arturo Ruiz (Spain) bt Simon Koo (NZ) 15-9 15-6, 2-Shoji Sato (Japan) bt Charles Pyne (Jamaica) 15-2 15-2.

Doubles quarterfinals: 1-Jochen Cassel/Joachim (Germany) bt James Moffat/Ishan Sembapperuma (NZ) 15-4 15-4, 4-Travis Denney (Australia)/Ashley Brehaut (NZ) bt Andrew Haliday (NZ)/Jarrod King (NZ) 15-9 15-13, Craig Cooper (NZ)/Geoff Bellingham(NZ) bt Stewart Carson (South Africa)/James Dorian (South Africa) 15-5 15-2, 2-Shoji Sato (Japan)/Yuichi Ikeda (Japan) bt Guy Gibson (Australia)/Glenn Warfe (Australia) 15-9 17-14.

Women

Singles quarterfinals: 1-Lenny Permana (Australia) bt Michelle Edwards (South Africa) 11-2 11-3, Li Xu (NZ) bt 3-Nigella Saunders (Jamaica) 11-9 11-6, Bing Huang (Ireland) bt 4 Kellie Lucas (Australia) 11-4 11-9, Rebecca Gordon (NZ) bt 2-Ragna Ingolfsdottir (Iceland) 11-4 9-11 11-5.

Doubles, first round: Rebecca Gordon (NZ)/Nicole Gordon (NZ) bt 1-Ragna Ingolfdottir (Iceland)/Sara Jonsdottir (Iceland) 15-9 15-9, Rachel Hindley (NZ)/Lianne Shirley (NZ) bt 2-Kellie Lucas (Australia)/Tania Luiz (Australia) 15-4 17-16.

- NZPA