Buckingham’s Alyssa Lim admitted her inexperience may have cost her after she and mixed doubles partner Marcus Ellis lost out in the final of the English National Championships on Sunday.
The 22-year-old Lim and Ellis fell to a 21-14, 24-22 defeat to Chris Langridge and Heather Olver up in Manchester.
Having taken down London 2012 Olympian Chris Adcock and his new partner Gabby White in the semi-finals, the duo of Lim and Ellis threw away a number of game points in the second set of the final.
But after succumbing to the top seeds Lim admitted that it was a case of one step too far for the inexperienced pairing.
She said: “I’m disappointed – obviously when you get to a final, you’re there to win, especially with quite a few games points in the second set.
“We would have like to taken one of them and taken it to a third and then it anybody’s game.
“It was a tight game, not many rallies and you could see everyone was nervous. I’m just gutted.
“There’s a case that we let the occasion get to us. Obviously it’s my first final – really pleased to get here – but maybe I let the occasion get to me. I didn’t feel I could get involved in the game – I’m disappointed.
“It was important to try and get that first game because it can settle your nerves, especially in a final. It’s a massive part of your game – it gives you base to play a bit more freely.
“You play these guys in training and you get a lot better games out of it, so it’s a bit of shame for the people watching because it was a bit scrappy – but well done to them.”
Lim and Ellis’ fledgling partnership saw them lose in the first round at both the Korean and Malaysian Opens in January.
But after a trip to the final here, and a women’s doubles semi-final with partner Jessica Fletcher, Lim is confident there is much more to come from here.
She added: “I can be really pleased with this weekend.
“We beat Chris and Gabby in the semis, playing the best I’ve ever played and the best we’ve ever played in a new partnership.
“It’s only our third tournament so hopefully we can get stronger as we get more used to each other. Hopefully we’ll get more experience with finals and the international scene as well.”
Next up, come & experience the world’s best players and London 2012 Olympians at the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships. For more information visit www.allenglandbadminton.com.