FEBRUARY 13 - ENGLAND'S badminton players are through to the semi-finals of the European Team Championships with a 3-1 victory over Ukraine in Echo Arena, Liverpool, tonight.

 

Ian Wright's squad will now Poland in the semi-final, who they beat 3-0 at the same stage of last year's tournament in Herning.

 

The English pairing of Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork got the hosts off to a great start in the mixed doubles with a 21-9 21-14 win over Valeriy Atrashchenkov and Elena Prus.

 

World number 21 Andrew Smith made it 2-0 with victory over Dmytro Zavadskyy 17-21 21-15 21-18 in 52 minutes.

 

Ukraine's only point of the match came as Larisa Griga beat Elizabeth Cann.

 

The world number 22, who is 12 places above Cann in the world rankings, won 21-15 21-19 in an entertaining match.

 

However, any thoughts of a Ukrainian revival were ended as Chris Adcock and Robert Blair secured the third and decisive point for England after their 21-14 21-12 victory against the Ukrainian pair Valery Atrashchenkov and Vladislav Druzchenko in the men's doubles.

 

Victorious Blair, winning his 49th cap, was pleased with his team's performance and sees no reason why they cannot progress to the final.

 

He said: "We worked hard and came through tonight.

 

"I think we will be too strong for Poland tomorrow but they have some good male players."

 

In the other quarter-finals tonight fourth seeds Poland recorded a 3-1 victory over fifth seeds Netherlands and holders and 12-times winners Denmark were too strong for seventh seeds France, emerging 3-1 winners.

 

It was left to Russia to spring the one surprise, the sixth seeds coming from behind to defeat third seeds Germany 3-2.