England pairs fall in Yonex All England quarter-finals

England's hopes of a Yonex All England title were dashed at the quarter-finals stage tonight when the last home hopes both went crashing at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

Gabby White and Jenny Wallwork fell in straight games to Olympic champions and 2008 runners-up Du Jin and Yu Yang, the fourth seeds from China, 21-6 21-8 in 29 minutes.

White and Wallwork, who are mentored by 2004 Olympic silver and 2006 world champion Gail Emms, just couldn't keep up with the Chinese.

But the England pair can still be well satisfied with their second-round win over Denmark's sixth seeds Lena Frier Kristiansen and Kamilla Rytter Juhl.

Fourth seeds Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg were England's last hopes as they went into mixed doubles action against Ko Sung Hyun and Ha Jung Eun.

But the European champions and 2007 runners-up were knocked out in a 54-minute three-game battle 21-16 15-21 21-11.

The opening game saw the England pair hold the Koreans until 7-7 before they ran away with the opener. But Clark and Kellogg hit back in the second game despite being pegged back from 15-11 to 15-15. Then a run of six points swept Clark and Kellogg to the game at 21-15.

In the decider Clark and Kellogg made the early running but the Koreans were level at 7-7 and never looked back with a match-winning surge from 14-9 to 20-10. Clark and Kellogg saved the first match point but the Koreans took it on the second match point 21-11.
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