Anthony Clark and Chris Langridge booked their place in the second round at the Yonex BWF World Championships.
British veteran rolls back the years with doubles partner
Anthony Clark produced a vintage display as he and Chris Langridge booked their place in the second round at the Yonex BWF World Championships.
Two-time World Championship silver medalist, 34, put recent injury problems behind him as he and his 25-year-old doubles partner defied the rankings to beat Japan's Yoshiteru Hirobe and Kenta Kazuno 21-15 21-17 at Wembley Arena.
The English duo, ranked 40th in world men's doubles, needed a wild card to compete this week and outmanoeuvred a pair 20 places above them to spark jubilant celebrations.
Clark said: "This is the World Championships in England - if this doesn't mean much to you, not a lot does.
"Chris and I are very passionate athletes and we wanted to perform well in front of our home crowd. This means everything to us."
Clark, a runner-up in both mixed and men's doubles in 2006, and Langridge now face an even tougher assignment as they take on third seeds Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae on Tuesday.
Clark, who now concentrates solely on men's doubles, said: "It is a no-lose situation.
"Everyone in the world expects the Koreans to win.
"But that is not the way we are going to go out there.
"We are going to take the game to them and all the hard practice we have done together, we are going to see if that can come off."
Down and out
Jenny Wallwork must now turn her attention to her mixed doubles challenge with Nathan Robertson after defeat alongside Gabby White in the women's pairs event.
The Leeds duo were outplayed 21-14 21-12 by Malaysia's former world number one pair Eei Hui Chin and Pei Tty Wong.
Wallwork said: "We always knew it was going to be a tough draw, they are a very good pair.
"Unfortunately we didn't play to the best of our abilities either, which is disappointing."
Home comforts
Home hopes were also kept alive at the venue for next year's Olympics by Elizabeth Cann, who progressed after a fine comeback in the women's singles.
The 33-year-old prevailed 16-21 21-13 21-11 in 47 minutes after putting a number of early errors against New Zealand's Michelle Chan Ky behind her.
Cann, ranked 36 in the world, now plays 10th seed Porntip Buranaprasertsuk of Thailand in the second round of the women's singles on Tuesday.
The Surrey-born player said: "I had a bit of a rocky start but I improved as the match went along.
"She capitalised on my bad start but I turned it around.
"I just tried to stay composed and build on it.
"There were nerves - I'd be more worried if there weren't - but it was a case of settling in."
Focus
Cann is hoping to lift her ranking in order to qualify for a return to the same venue at the Olympics in a year's time but is focusing on the task in hand.
She added: "I'd be lying if I said that didn't enter my mind at all but I'm trying to push it out a bit.
"This is a World Championships - not exactly a tinpot tournament - and deserves credit in its own right."
Chris Adcock and Andy Ellis impressed during the evening's programme as they brushed aside Brazilians Hugo Arthuso and Daniel Paiola 21-10 21-11 in just 20 minutes.
Otherwise it was a disappointing day for the home players with Sarah Walker, Susan Egelstaff and Carl Baxter going out of singles events.
There were also doubles defeats for Mariana Agathangelou and Heather Olver as well as Martin Campbell and Angus Gilmour.
