Wallwork staying positive after 'worst months of career'
BySportsbeat
Updated 30/12/2012 at 22:23 GMT
This year could not have gone any worse for Jenny Wallwork: failure to reach her first Olympics, the retirement of her on-court partner and then injury as soon as she found a new one.
Jenny Wallwork of England
Image credit: Reuters
Indeed, it led to some questioning whether she would even continuing playing badminton – however Wallwork has enough confidence in her new mixed doubles partner to ensure that won't be the case just yet.
The 25-year-old had high hopes of qualifying for London 2012 with Olympic mixed doubles silver medallist from 2004 Nathan Robertson, even after the disappointment of last year's World Championships.
The race for qualification was effectively turned on its head when Imogen Bankier and Chris Adcock won silver and, try as they might, Wallwork and Robertson couldn't overthrow them.
In order for both to compete at London 2012, they both needed to be in the top eight when the year-long qualification period ended in May but they weren't; Wallwork and Robertson were 17th, Bankier and Adcock tenth.
Bankier and Adcock went and Robertson retired not soon after although Wallwork appeared to find her feet, teaming up with Andrew Ellis and quickly winning the Polish Open in September before injury struck.
Wallwork damaged her back, and most recently ankle, and the pair haven't played together since and, despite the consequences of which set to be far reaching when they eventually do get back on the court, she's upbeat about the future.
"It was very disappointing that we [her and Robertson] didn't qualify for London 2012 but we tried everything we could and we didn't have the year we hoped for," said Wallwork.
"We [new partner Andrew Ellis] had some solid training and we had our first tournament in Poland and won. But I injured my back and we have had to pull out of all the tournaments we hoped to play in the last three months.
"A few people have said have I thought about packing it in but I've never been injured before and I love to play the sport and this has been the most difficult few months of my career so it's been very, very hard.
"Also with some big tournaments coming up it makes qualifying that much harder as we don't have a ranking. But I was really happy to play with Andrew.
"I started to think about who I wanted to play with and he was an obvious choice. He has not played mixed doubles before but we are an aggressive pair and he has taken to it well and is very determined in training."
Wallwork isn't alone in suffering in 2012 as, despite qualifying for London 2012, Bankier and Adcock didn't win a game and then split up with the former returning to Scotland.
Adcock now plays with fiancé Gabby White again but both his and Bankier and Wallwork and Robertson's world rankings remain with both still in the top 40.
And Wallwork believes it could remain that way for some time yet. She added: "The first two and a half months I couldn't even step onto court and when I did I had another setback so it has been difficult.
"Our training has gone well but we need more time on court. That sharpness we want to have isn't there but I guess the more games we have the more it will help."
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