Shropshire Star

We're getting better, insists beaten Telford badminton star Jess Pugh

Telford badminton star Jess Pugh insists the only way is up for her University of Nottingham Badminton side after they fell to their second league defeat of the season.

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Against Surrey Smashers, Pugh and women's doubles partner Nina Vislova – who won Olympic silver for Russia at London 2012 – lost in straight sets to Gabby Adcock and Sophie Brown as the Smashers won 3-2 overall.

It was a second National Badminton League loss for Nottingham.

After the Smashers pair raced into a quick two-game advantage, leading 9-7, 9-7, Pugh and Vislova had started to find their rhythm, and looked to be en route to taking the third game.

But Adcock and Brown quickly fought back to seal the deal, and 19-year-old Pugh was quick to pinpoint the weakness for her and Vislova.

"It's obviously tough to have lost the match, especially because we lost on our last match-night as well," said 19-year-old Pugh, who last week reached the quarter-finals of the Scottish Open with international mixed doubles partner Ben Pugh.

"This week, we were trying to work on team spirit and it has worked a bit, but It's always tough for us playing together because she is Russian and doesn't speak any English. "We've struggled to communicate with each other so it's hard to enforce tactics on the court, we just have to play and hope it works out.

She has quite a unique way of playing. so without communicating, it's quite difficult because I don't know what she's going to do. Hopefully we can keep improving."

"We battled well, it was a close match, but we just couldn't take the win.

"We came back into it late on and I thought we could snatch it, because the games are so short anything can happen. But it's hard when you're playing two very experienced players, and we didn't manage to get back in it."

Next up for University of Nottingham Badminton is the visit of 2014/15 AJ Bell NBL champions Team Derby next Monday. "Hopefully we can keep improving," added Pugh.

But while communication may be lacking between Pugh and Vislova, she insists she is seeing improvements in their performances on court, and she is only too confident they will soon have a victory under their belts.

"I think we performed a lot better this week than we did last time, this is only the second match we've played together so hopefully we can keep improving," she said.

"Next week will be even better and we can maybe get the win then."

For team news, tickets and fixtures, visit nationalbadmintonleague.co.uk or follow @NBL_official on Twitter

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