Quarter-final All England 2023 final station for top badminton players Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek

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For Tabeling and Piek (world ranking position 13), the English campaign started in the first round against Adam Hall and Julie MacPherson (WR27) from Scotland. That couple was passed with 16-21 and 14-21 in a compact half hour. In the next match they met Zachariah Josiahno Sumanti and Hediana Julimarbela (WR30) from Indonesia. They won this in two games during the Badminton World Cup in 2022 and Robin and Selena did that again: 21-18 and 21-10 after 33 minutes of play.

Sour but lucrative quarter final

With each progression in the tournament, the opposition usually increases. That also applied to the quarterfinals against Koreans Kim Won Ho and Jeong Na Eun (WR12). Despite the fact that both couples are in the top 15 of the world, they only played against each other for the first time on Friday.

In the first game, the Dutch immediately faced a 0-7 deficit and were unable to close that gap. In the second game it was tied until 4-4, but the Koreans gained territory – not least because they scored five consecutive runs twice. Trailing 15-19, the battle was effectively fought and a place in the semi-finals for the two Dutch Olympians was a forgotten dream.

To reach this quarter-final, Robin Tabeling and Selena Piek can each add half of US$ 7,812.50 to their prize pool. Top sport is not a cheap pastime, so the money will be welcome.

First round exits

Very few players are accepted into the All England, because you need a certain ranking or else you have to hope to move up from the reserve list.

Debora Jille and Cheryl Seinen (WR28) took on the Danes Maike Fruergaard and Sara Thygesen (WR26) in the first round. That was a monster match to lick your fingers, the final score of which only appeared on the board after 1 hour and 8 minutes. The Scandinavian duo only managed to take a final distance from 14-14 in the third game, so the Dutch resistance was great. Final result: 18-21, 23-21 and 16-21.

In the doubles, golfer Ruben Jille and Duinwijcker Ties van der Lecq also appeared at the start (WR29) – just like the ladies these days, a top 30 pair. France’s Lucas Corvee and Ronan Labar (WR36) threw up an unsurmountable hurdle. In the first game, Jille and Van der Lecq kept up until 14-14, but slipped out of control on the way to 16-21. That continued amply in the second and final final game: not a single lead and 15-21 on the scoreboard.