Sunday 4th February 2007 was an action packed day at the Manchester Velodrome. Hi-Tec sponsored Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson, the mixed doubles champions were both in the finals- Nathan & Gail played against Anthony Clarck & Donna Kellogg and Gail was also in the Women's Finals paired with Donna.

The mixed doubles were to play first, and after a long 3 set match with scores 23-21, 14-21, 22-20 lasting over an hour, the World Champions lost out to their friends.

Both pairs train together and therefore know each other's games very well, so it was hard to judge the outcome although this was the first time the Emms & Robertson were defeated by Clark and Kellogg.

It was Robertson's and Emms' first loss to domestic opposition in all that time - a sequence involving something like 60 matches - and it happened on the first occasion a world final has ever been repeated in an English national final.

After playing the mixed doubles, Hi-Tec sponsored Gail Emms (seeded number one) went on to win the Women's doubles with partner Donna. The match against Natalie Munt & Joanne Nicholas lasted 34 minutes with 2 sets (21-17, 21- 17). Both players were exhausted after playing against each other previously in the Mixed Doubles but worked well together to beat Munt & Nicholas in straight sets.

Congratulations to both Gail and Nathan for their achievements! To find out more, please visit http://www.nationalbadmintonchamps.co.uk/2007eaton.htm

© 2007 HI-TEC Plc