24 March 2023
Ben Lane and Sean Vendy claimed a landmark win at the YONEX Swiss Open, their first-ever tournament triumph at Super 300 level.
The men’s doubles duo put in a statement performance with just a few months to go until the Olympic Games, picking up crucial Paris 2024 qualification points in the process.
Lane and Vendy wrapped up the title with a dramatic 24-22 28-26 win over Indonesian top seeds Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana.
The European and Commonwealth silver medallists found top form in Basel and laid waste to the Olympic champions at the quarter-final stage, beating Lee Yang and Wang Chi-Lin of Chinese Taipei in straight games.
Lane and Vendy secured their spot in the final by roaring back from a game down to beat Sabar Karyaman Gutama and Moh Reza Pahlevi Isfahani 20-22 21-8 21-15.
The other English representation in Switzerland came in the mixed doubles draw. On the back of an impressive first-round win at the YONEX All England Open, Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith fell to a 21-12 21-10 defeat to Indonesia’s Dejan Ferdinansyah and Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja.