Ben Lane is heading into the YONEX All England Open full of confidence despite a challenging first-round meeting with the world number one pairing. The 28-year-old and his men’s doubles partner Sean Vendy will face defending champions Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae in Birmingham on Tuesday.
The Korean pair defeated Lane and Vendy in the semi-finals of the Petronas Malaysia Open earlier this year, a match that marked the British duo’s first appearance at the last-four stage of a Super 1000 event. Despite the loss, Lane believes they are capable of causing an upset on home soil.
“We know that we are capable of beating these pairs,” said the Exmouth native. “We have not beaten the Koreans before, we have only played them twice, so we are going into the match confident, knowing that if we play well, we can beat them.” Lane added that the pressure is more on the defending champions, who are expected to win, but acknowledged the natural desire to perform well in front of a home crowd.
Lane and Vendy are the only British players in action on Tuesday, with the first round split over two days. Mixed doubles pair Callum Hemming and Estelle Van Leeuwen begin their campaign on Wednesday against Malaysian duo Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie, while Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson face Denmark’s Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund in an all-European first-round match.
