Magee’s French revenge mission

Chloe Magee is no stranger to making Irish badminton history.

Four years ago she became the first Irish woman to win a game at the Olympics.

This afternoon she stands on the cusp of becoming the first to make the last 16.

The Irish number one defeated Egypt’s Hadia Hosny in her opening match 21-17, 21-6 on Sunday night at Wembley Arena before a raucous Irish crowd which included her dad, Sammy.

Magee said of him: “He is fantastic. He was shaking before he came into the arena and had to have a hot whiskey before it started. He’s in heaven being at the Olympic Games and it is lovely to look and see him in the crowd. The experience is fantastic. The support I receive and always receive in London is great and they really got behind me and that makes a huge difference.”

But that victory will count for little if the 23-year-old can’t overcome France’s Hongyan Pi in the Wembley venue. (2.17pm, RTE Two).

It will be a challenging task for Magee (ranked 44 in the world) as the Chinese-born Pi, (25th in the world), won bronze at the 2009 World Championships and reached the last eight in the Beijing Games.

The pair met in the quarter-finals of the Yonex Irish Open last December with Pi only winning in three games — 21-11, 15-21, 21-17.

Magee admitted: “I’ve played Pi before and I know what she’s going to come with and she knows what I am going to come with. I’m just really looking forward to the match and I know I have it in me to win.”

Magee’s teammate Scott Evans last night predicted the Raphoe girl would make the last 16.

He explained: “She has a great chance. I was training in France two years ago and Pi Hongyan was in bits. This is her last tournament and she has a lot of problems all over her body. I would say Chloe would be the favourite. I don’t think she played too well Sunday night, I think she was a bit nervous, but she’s got one game under her belt now and she can just go in and give it everything.

“I think she should win.”