YONEX All England 2023: Chloe Birch looking to shift mindset

For Chloe Birch, taking the next step is all about a change of mindset. Having played alongside Jess Pugh at the YONEX All England Open a year ago, Birch and Lauren Smith resumed their partnership later in the season and went on to win a memorable Commonwealth Games silver in Birmingham. Ad It was not the easiest year for Birch, who had to deal with switching partners and then spending time off court after Smith sustained an ankle injury towards the end of the season.

BadmintonImportance of Commonwealth Games not lost on Badminton star Rose25/04/2022 AT 08:41 But the 27-year-old believes there are plenty of positives to build on ahead of a busy season — with the YONEX All England a key part of that. Birch said: «For us, it's always a big one in the calendar. Obviously, it's a home tournament, and it's such a prestigious event that we look forward to it every year.

»Last year was a bit of a weird year all round for me. There were a few ups and downs with the change of partnerships, starting to play mixed doubles as well, but obviously then Lauren coming back for the Commonwealth Games, and Lauren then getting injured. «It was a bit of a rollercoaster of a year, but since Birmingham we knew — on six weeks training for the Commonwealth Games — what level we had performed and how we could get better, so that gave us a lot of confidence.