Senior County News

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2nd February 2012

Mills hoping to gel quickly with new partner

Southwell badminton star Peter Mills admits he's taking a step into the unknown at the English National Championships but insists there is no better place for his brand new partnership to get up and running.

After injury and a mystery illness derailed last season, Mills parted ways with previous team-mate Marcus Ellis in December to unite with Chris Langridge for the 2012 season.

The duo have yet to take to the court competitively, but begin their campaign in Bolton tomorrow.

Although they may not be in the running for London 2012, Mills is all too aware that rival teams will be getting themselves in Olympic condition and bringing their 'A' game.

"The National Championships is always a big one," said Mills.

"We're training with the English guys regularly so it's always good to play them in a competitive environment.

"I missed the tournament last year, so it'll be good to get back involved this time and hopefully make an impact.

"Chris and I know it's important to gel straight away. It's not always that easy but we'll be learning on the job.

"There are some competitive teams in England and they will all be aiming to start the season on a high with the Olympics around the corner.

"Realistically, we'll just be seeing how far we can progress. Once you play together for a while you can set yourself targets, but we are determined to start well."

Having fallen short of London 2012 contention with previous partner Ellis, Mills is starting from a clean slate with Langridge – whose prospective Olympic partner, Notts star Anthony Clark, retired last year.

It may be too late for the pair to force their way into Olympic reckoning, but they are still desperate to boost their world ranking in order to qualify for international events, such as the Yonex All England Open in Birmingham in March.

There are no ranking points available at the domestic tournament, but Mills insists hitting the ground running will be crucial for their progression this year.

"It's difficult to put a number on it, but we'll be aiming at getting somewhere near the world's top 20," Mills added.

"There may not be any ranking points at stake at the Nationals but everyone wants to get off to a good start and it's important for us.

"It will be a learning curve, but if we want to play in some of the biggest tournaments, like the All England Open, we need to get some form going.

"We won't have a team ranking until after the first couple of events and we want to start on the best possible footing."

Article from Nottingham Post

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