Olympics: Curtain Falls on Emms' Career As Mixed Doubles Are Denied

Gail Emms' international badminton career ended with a straight-games defeat in the mixed doubles quarter-finals. Emms, together with her partner Nathan Robertson lost 21-19, 21-12 to the Korean pair Lee Yongdae and Lee Hyojung.

Emms confirmed before the Olympics began that she would be retiring after the tournament was over and, as she had already been eliminated from the women's doubles, this defeat marks the end of her illustrious career. Together with Robertson, Emms charmed the nation by winning Olympic silver at Athens, and the pair later added both the Commonwealth gold and the world championship.

Having beaten the No2 seeds and tournament favorites Ling Gao and Bo Zheng in the first round this defeat – to a pair ranked one place beneath them in the world standings – was especially bitter. The British pair played with their customary aggression and enthusiasm, but never appeared to settle into their game.

Hyojung and Yongdae took an early lead in the first set and never relinquished it, though Robertson's fine forehand smash did enable the British pair to save four match points from 20-15 down. The fifth and sixth proved beyond them, but they at least appeared to have found their rhythm.

That impression was misleading. The Koreans again took a quick lead in the second set, and, capitalizing on some unusually sloppy play by Robertson, went into the interval 11-10 ahead. That became 20-11, as Robertson and Emms faded from the game, and the match, altogether. They left court to warm applause from an appreciative British crowd.