The journey continues for Krysten Coombs in SH6 men’s singles at the 4 Nations Para Badminton International 2024 as he outlasted teammate Jack Shephard in the quarterfinals.

Upon reaching his first semifinal of 2024 and getting the better of compatriot and best friend Shephard 21-18 16-21 22-20 in their 15th encounter, he said: “We are best friends off court, that’s the greatest thing we have. We know when we play each other, it’s the same thing, one of us must win. That’s where we show our sportsmanship. It’s such a joy to play your mate.”

Coombs, also a part-time actor, had to dig deep to defeat Shephard after a tough battle against Charles Noakes in round two with the added disadvantage of not having his coach Richard Morris by his side.

“It’s challenging. Coaches are great to take things off your mind and feed things in. We have a good set-up that we can play each other in training. It makes you stronger not having a coach. It becomes much more of a mental battle, to see whose mind is stronger,” added the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic bronze medallist.

Bunking together in Glasgow, the Englishmen had time to take a meal the morning of their match.

“We are sharing a room and when we play each other it’s one hour of the week where we need switch off and not be friends. For the rest of the week, it’s nice to have your friend there. It puts a smile on our faces,” Shephard shared of their close friendship.

Coombs added: “We had breakfast this morning and warmed up next to each other. That’s what is special about our friendship, we don’t put on mean faces to make things difficult.”

When asked who would be buying dinner, Coombs replied: “Hopefully after such a thrilling match, one of our teammates!”

On making his first semifinal of the year, to face Paralympic champion Nagar Krishna, Coombs said: “Bring it on. This is great preparation for the Paris Paralympics.”

→ Results (Day 3)

→ Order of Play (Day 4)

WHAT OTHERS SAID

“I try to focus and keep calm on court, even when I’m trailing. I believe in myself, I back myself. This is an important motto as I prepare for the Paralympics.” – Man Kai Chu (SH6)

“There are lots of Indian players, I admire everyone. (Pusarla V) Sindhu, Saina (Nehwal), (HS) Prannoy, Lakshya (Sen), Srikanth (Kidambi). It feels so amazing with this Para badminton community, because win or lose they just enjoy the tournament and appreciate everyone.” – Thulasimathi Murugesan

“I was having difficulty with some of my shots and was trying to play more aggressively in the second game. That’s more my style. I’ve developed my game over the years and I’m looking forward to putting that into action at Paris 2024.” –Beatriz Monteiro (SU5) on trying to overcome a 9-0 head-to-head against Cathrine Rosengren in the quarterfinals

“I get complimented on my badminton and it’s great to see so many people looking at me and what I do. I have my coach to thank for always keeping me mentally sharp and for my success.” – A humble Daiki Kajiwara (WH1) after securing two semifinal spots