Torjussen completes Nationals set | Badminton England

August 25, 2021 c_admin Badminton Comments Off on Torjussen completes Nationals set | Badminton England

Johnnie Torjussen beat top seed and defending champion Alex Lane in the final of the National Championships to win the senior title and complete his full set of national crowns.

Second seed Torjussen, 21, avenged his defeat to Lane in the 2020 final with a 15-21 21-18 21-16 victory to add the senior gong to his Under-11, Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 titles.

“It feels great, it has been a long time since winning Nationals for me, so it is good to finally win my second final,” said Torjussen, who beat No.3/4 seed Ethan Rose in the semi-final at the National Badminton Centre.

“I’ve always played quite well in the Nationals, so I had confidence this time.

“I would love to [use this as a springboard], fuelling that next bit of getting higher on the world rankings.

“Retaining my title would be the one thing I want to do, because not many people do it two years on the bounce.”

Abigail Holden claimed the women’s singles crown with a 21-15 21-9 victory over No.1 seed Freya Patel-Redfearn in the final.

In the absence of Olympian and four-time reigning champion Chloe Birch, third/fourth seed Holden took home the top prize having seen off Lisa Curtin in the last four.

In the women’s doubles, a battle of the top two seeds was won by No.2 pair Jessica Hopton and Jessica Pugh as they came through a tight tussle with Jenny Moore and Viki Williams, winning 21-23 21-19 21-13.

And it was double glory for 24-year-old Pugh as she also won the mixed doubles alongside Callum Hemming.

Pugh, who took home the mixed trophy in 2017 and 2019 alongside Ben Lane, again got the better of Williams and her partner Matthew Clare as the top seeds prevailed 21-12 21-5.

“It always means a lot, no matter if you have won it before. It’s a big one and to do it with both of my partners for whom it is their first title means more,” said Pugh.

“I’m just happy that we were able to get the job done,” added Hemming, who like Torjussen was a prolific junior.

“I knew we had it in us, very happy with the overall result.

“To win a senior title, best in the country, is the one that everyone wants to get – I can’t really put it into words.”

However, Clare did not leave Milton Keynes empty handed after claiming men’s doubles glory, just as he did with Michael Roe in 2018, alongside Ethan Van Leeuwen.

They knocked out Tokyo Olympians, No.1 pair and 2019 winners Ben Lane and Sean Vendy in the semi-finals before seeing off Rory Easton and Zach Russ 21-23 21-17 21-18 in the final.