Lydia making mark on international stage

Lydia Powell is having a busy time on the international badminton stage.
Lydia Powell lunges forward to play a backhand. Picture courtesy Gary BakerLydia Powell lunges forward to play a backhand. Picture courtesy Gary Baker
Lydia Powell lunges forward to play a backhand. Picture courtesy Gary Baker

The Hastings-based player produced a good performance in the women’s singles at the 51st Portuguese International 2016 last week.

Powell came through qualifying by beating Portuguese player Ana I. Santos 21-4, 21-6 and Ireland’s Rachael Darragh 21-19, 23-21.

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She then overcame Flore Vandenhoucke 21-9, 22-20 in the first round of the event proper, avenging a narrow three-set defeat to the Belgian in their last meeting at Hellas International two years ago.

Powell’s progress was eventually halted in round two by a 21-7, 21-14 loss to Malaysian fourth seed Yin Fun Lim, a slightly older Malaysian player who has previously reached the World Junior Championships semi-finals.

“In the first half of the season I found it very difficult and I wasn’t playing my best badminton, so it was great to come through these matches beating the players I did,” said Powell. “I’ve felt a big change since the new year.”

The 19-year-old will begin her campaign at the Romanian International 2016 tomorrow (Friday) with a first round match against Dana Kugel from Israel, who she beat en route to the final at the Hatzor Isreal FS tournament back in November - her first senior international singles medal overseas.

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Powell, who is training as part of the England ladies’ singles squad alongside national champion Fontaine Chapman, also played in the Austrian Open 2016 last month and will contest a tournament in France at the end of the month.

Although she’s enjoyed plenty of doubles success throughout her career, Powell is now focusing mainly on the singles game.

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